Evening journal., 1918-02-01

aon the i7th or 18th the French
ceased 10 hold the right bank in force,
and contented themselves with patrol
ling II. Each day rifle and cannon nre
was exchanged between the two banks.
German cavalry again began 70 enter
the city. where they moved about with
impunity. Thus, about midday on the
10Th, an Uhlan. coming from the direc-
tion OF Rocher-Bsysrd, went Off by the
Clney road without molestatlon He
crossed almost the whole width Of The
city. At nightfall on the same day an
other cavalryman made the same Jour
ney and also went on IN safety.
During the night Of the 2ist-22d brisk
firing suddenly began in the Rue -.
Jacques (Ciney road. Some Germans
had arrived In motor-cars and were fir
ing on the houses, whose occupants
were peacefully sleeping. They broke
open the doors and severely wounded
three people. one at lea-t with the
baSonet, and went away after setting
fire to fifteen or twenty houses with
bombs. They left a number Of these be-
hind. and the inhabitants threw them
into the water. They assert that these
were incendiary bombs.
No one was able TO understand this
behaviour. The newspapers had report
ed that atrocities were committed near
Wise, but no one believed it Eventually
they came 10 the conclusion that this
attack was the work OF drunken men,
and awaited events without undue
anxiety.
"On Aug 23d the battle between the
French and German armies began early
with an artillery duel The first two
rifle shots Of the Germans were aimed
at two young girls who were looking
for a better shelter than the one they
had
Everyone took refuge IN the cellars.
"The Germans descended on Dnant
upon Aug. % by four main roads-all
about the same time-nearly a m.
These roads were From Lisogne 10
Dnant: from Ciney to Dlnant; Mont 50
Nicholas, by which the troops which
were on a part Of the plateau of Her
buchenne arrived; and. lastly. the
Froldval road, running from Boiselle 10
Dinspt.
II. The first OF these roads leads to
the district called 'Fonds de Leffe.'
Directly they arrived the soldiers
entered the houses. expelled the occu-
pants, killed the men. and set fire 10 the
houses.
M Victor Poncelet was killed In his
house IN front Of his wife and children
". Himmer. manager Of the factory at
l.effe and Nice-COnsul Of the Argentine
Nepubllc, was shot with a number OF
his workmen. One hundred and nfty-
Two Of the staff Of the factory were
murdered
The Premonstratensisn Church was.
am informed, entered during mass.
The men were dragged out and shot on
the spot One of the Fathers also was
murdered
-But what is the good OF giving fur
fher detaus2 one circumstance will sum
I'D all. OF the whole population 0f this
district. only nine men apart from old
men) remain alive. The women and
children were shut mp IN the Premon-
efrafensian Abbey, which was after
,,ards pillaqed we were to see soldiers
parading the city IN tho vestments OF
the monks.
II. The same scenes Of fire and muir
der OEEuFItU 81 ille ANAN HNt "NNAtN N-Nf
which terminates the Ciney Road. The
Victims. however, were not 50 numer-
Gus. Many Of the residents In this dis
trict. more alarmed than the rest OF the
rlty by the events Of the night OF the
2ist-22nd. had abandoned their houses.
From the Rue St Jacques the Ger
mans spread over the whole district
rhey killed people. but not so many as
nj Leffe. The inhabitants were shut up
in the premonstratensisn Abbey. Every
ihlng was set on fire. They burned the
tower and roof OF our fine old Gothic
church. They set fire TO the doors, but
lid not succeed in completely destroy
ing them.
SFsrther on, the Grand Place and the
pue Grande, as far as the Rue du Tri-
hnnal. were spared for the time being.
'rhe Germans did not go there. The in
habltants were not interned until the
next day.
s0n the evening OF the Path and on
the 18th. they set this part Of the city
On fire. only one building, the Hotel des
Families, remains.
iii. From the Rue du Tribunal 10
the other side Of the prison the crimes
were committed by the forces comine
do,,-n from Mont 81 Nicholas. | noticed