The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1918-12-05

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Women and Children Begged for the
Lives Of the Men.
Of them were knocked in the head with
gun butts before they stopped.
Then the Germans fired at the double
rank Of men. After three volleys, there
We're eigMy-four dead and twenty
wounded. Most of the wounded they
then killed with axes, but somehow,
three or four escaped by hiding under
the bodies of others and playing dead,
though the officers walked up and
down firing their revolvers into the
piles Of bodies.
The next day the Germans went
through the wine cellars, and shot all
the inhabitants they found hiding
there. A lot of people. who had taken
refuge in factory over night, decided
to come out with white flag. They
were allowed to think that the white
flag would be respected, but 60 sooner
We're they all out than they were seized
and the women publicly violated in the
square, after which the men were shot
A paralytic was shot as he sat in his
armchair, and boy Of fourteen was
taken BY the legs and pulled apart.
At one place. man was tied by the
arms to the ceiling Of his room and set.
afire. His trunk was completely car.
BOMBED, but his head and arms were
unburned. At the same place, the
body Of f1fteen-year-old boy was
found. pierced by more than twenty
bayonet thrusts. Other dead were
found with their hands still in the air,
leaning up against walls.
At another place the Germans
shelled the town for day. and then
entered and sacked 1t. The women
and children were turned loose, with
out being allowed to take anything
with them, and forced to leave the
town. Nearly five hundred men were
deported to Germany. Three, who
were almost exhausted by hunger, tried
to escape. They were bayoneted and
dubbed to death. Twelve men, who
had taken refuge in a farm, were tied
together and shot in mass. Another
group Of six were tied together and
shot, after the Germans had put out
their eyes and tortured them with
bayonets. Three others were brought
before their wives and children and
sabered.
The Belgian told me he was at Ma
muir when the Germans began Smelling
1t. The bombardment lasted the whole
OF August q and q, 1914. They CEN
tered their fire on the prison, the hos
pital, and the railway station. They
entered the town at four o'clock In the
afternoon Of August %. During the
drst 'twenty-four hours, they behaved
themselves, but on the oath they began
firing at anyone they pleased, and set
fire to different houses on five Of the
principal squares.
Then they ordered every one to leave
his house. and those who did not were
shot. The others, abont four hundred
In all, were drawn up in front Of the
church. close to the river bank. The
Belgian said he could never forget how
they all looked.
Il can remember just how 1t was"
he said. "There were eight men, whom
knew very well, standing in row
with several priests. Next came two
good friends Of mine named Balbau
and Guillaume, with Balbau's seven
teen-year-old son; then two men who
had taken refuge in barn and had
been discovered and blinded; then two
other men whom had never seen be-
fore.
ut was awful to see the way the
women were crying Shoot me too,
shoot me with my husband"
1.-THE men were lined up on the edge
Of the hollow. which runs from the
high road to the bottom of the village.
One Of them was leaning on the Shout
ders Of an old priest, and he was cry
ing. I am too young-I can't face
death brayely.'
Il couldn't bear the sight any longer
| / turned my back to the road and Gov
cred my eyes. ! heard the v0lley and
the bodies falling. Then some one
cried, Look, they're all down. But q
few escaped"
This Belgian had escaped ~ hiding
he could not remember how many
days-in an old cart filed with manure
and rubbish. He had chewed old hide.
for food. had SWAN across the river
and hid In q mud bank for almost !,
week longer. and finally got to France
/ He took 1t very hard when we talke,
about Dixmude, and ! told him tina
| tho alb church vvoc met shot n, snAnroe