Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-08-02
PRISONERS OF THE GERMANS
French Soldier Tolls Of Some Hor
ribie Experiences.

| SiiicS. 50 oltcE TnlnlIeSteu IL tHc ucC-
laration 6f Castor Julian Drfoirdt OF
Woonscket. r. l.. now visiting rcla-
tivcs here, that he would much rather
die lighting on the front line than to
so through such pains and miscries
rs he endured in two years spent in
German prison camp. Dcfordt. who is
! ~. and well educated. WAS visiting In
| France when the war came. and very
soon he was in the ranks. On the
second day OF his service at the front
he was wounded in the left ear 10y
fragment OF shrlpncl. and three days
later he was taken prisoner.
With many other prisoners he was
sent 10 the rear. and there they were
loaded with so many cattle In freight
ears and started on a seven days ride
to the prison camp at .>ltenErabow.
AT every way station where the
train stopped" says Dcfoirdt. 'the
German people gathered around and
| threw stones and spat In our faces.
We were subjected TO all sorts OF in
| suits. Many OF MS were wounded. Yet
we got no attention whatever. being
given scarcely food enough 10 keep
us alive and made to sleep on the
floors OF the dirty freight cars.
When finally We found ourselves
in the German prison camp. con-
ditions were worse rather than better.
There were about $4,000 men at Al
tengrabow, all nationalitcs mingled
together. We were guarded by Ger
man soldiers who had been tncapaci-
tatcd for service nj the front. and
who on account OF their wounds.
were rcvcnccful toward us.
Dogs Refused Prison Fare.
1T would he difficult to picture in
words the awful conditions prevailing
in that camp. Our dict consisted for
the most part of hN water and de-
caycd vcgetablcs-thcy called it soup.
Sometimes We were given herbs mix
"d with grass to eat. Under such
treatment the strongest mon soon fell
sick. and were scarcely able TO move
about. The smell of this soup often
was so nauscating that men held
their noses while eating II. Dogs
would take one sniff at IL and refuse
to cat.
AT times the men became so dcs-
pcratrly hungry that they caught and
ate rats. and even n dog. Occasional
| ly they were given herring broth.
made by boiling whole. unclrancd
hcrrinGs into thin liquid. the heads.
bones and scales OF the fishes being
served with the rest. One of-thc pris-
oncrs was operated on for appcndi-
citis after his transfer. and four her
ing heads were found lodged in his
| intestines.
Il have seen prisoners, rendered
half insane by hunger, fighting
among themselves for bits OF food. II
npc,s ratiaas- Xere -ztaien- --ar-tavkcn-
from him by force and he complained
to the guard. the answer would he:
"Why are you not all friends
allies? Surely there can he nothing
to complain Of
when the neutral commission
would visit the camps the prisoners
would bc given n short cut of frank
furtcr sausage and n lump OF bread.
80 that II might appear that they
were fairly fed.
Sawdust Bread.
This bread contained all sorts Of
stun. such rs potato pcclings. straw
and sawdust. All prisoners were made
to sign papers indicating their will
lingness to work. II they refused TO
sign they were severely punished.
The men supposed that they were 10
engage in farm work. but were sent
| to coal mines. salt mines and muni-
tion factories. | refused to work In a
munition factory and was tied to
post for three hours. One group OF
prisoners who pcrsistcntly refused to
work, were told that they would bc
shot and were placed under n special
guard. At the end Of eleven days. dur
ing which they momcntarily expect
cd to bc executed. they were told that
their lives would be saved.
While in prison / slept on the
same cot for Is months. and In all
that time the straw was not changed
once When ] left the straw was fine
rs dust and alive with vcrmin. After
Is months at Altengrabow, was
transferred to Mcrscburg. After an eX-
change OF prisoners had been effect
cd. | was taken to Constance. where
was provided with new suit OF
clothes and was well fed and kindly
treated for eight days before being
turned over to the Allies. | suppose
this was done in the hope that in my
new comfort and the Joy at being re-
leased might forget the past.
IN Switzerland was taken In
charge by the Red Cross and kept in
the hospital there for IA months Had
the Germans given me proper treat
mcnt for my wound would have re-
covered in a few weeks: as II was,
after years. Of neglect. dirt. semi star
walton and hard work, ] was in such
condition when released that for a
| time my life was despaired Of. Even
now. after the best efforts Of the Red
Cross physicians and nurses. the left
side OF my face is partially paralyzed
and / can see but little with my left
eye"
| Dcfoirdt says that when he left the
prison camp at Merscburg. the Ger
mans did not seem quite so brutal as
they were two years before. They told
him the war would end this year. and
when he left Merseburg they did not
seem at all confident OF winning.
4 A..