Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1918-01-14
Across the Disc.

AcrOsS the OiSe.
Between the junction Of the AIsne and
point due north Of Paris, Won Kluck's
Army made their passage OF the Disc.
and Compiegne was the first place they
reached on the further bank Of the
river. From the famous Palace OF Com
piegne only o few objects were taken,
but Count Orsetti's chateau. facing t.
was completely sacked-'especially by
non-commlssioned officers, in the sight
and with the cognizance Of their SUI
periors Plate, Jewels. and other OBJ
iects Of value were carried of, and the
pillagers INDUCED In a regular orgy
Part Of the plumber was brought into
The courtyard Of the chateau. checked
entered. packed, and loaded on two fur
niture vans flying Red Cross Ilags.'
This Is the testimony If the Director
Of tho Museum az Compiegnc, and he
adds that a German captain, appealed
20 to- interfere, replied: IT is war and
besides have no time"
Meanwhile. Won Kluck's right wing
heading for Paris, arrived on sept. ? 90
Nogent-sur-Oise. THE Germans states
a witness, forced their way into my
house, broke the doors and windows,
smashed the furniture. ana carried me
Of. mishandling me on the way They
dragged me as far as Creil, and both. at
Nogent and at Creil ! saw them enter
ing houses 10 pillage them. As they
came out the houses took fire. About
eight houses" he states. were burnt at
Novent': and another inhabtant des-
cribes how. after they had broken open
his shutters and taken everything from
his house that they wanted, they at
TEMPTED 20 burn 70 by drenchins a
bundle Of clothes in petrol and setting
them alight.
From Nogent the Germans passed
straight on 10 Creil. They came 10
Creil on Sept 2d," states the Mayors
Assessor. NJ. Georges, and their occu-
patton lasted tin Sept Q. There was
wholesale pillage, and - houses were
burnt by the enemy by means Of fuses
and Rrenades To palliste these excess
ses, they ALLEGED that they had been
tired on by civilians. but I certify that
This excuse is absolutely false None Of
my fellow-citizens committed the
slightest act Of hostility II shots were
fred, they were fired at the moment
II the Germans entry by the french
military engineers who were blowing
I'D the bridge" This testimony Is con-
nrmed by the Germans themselves.
'Cren." writes a diarist, the iron
bridge bad been blown up. For this
whole streets were burnt and civilians
shot"-"I saw an Uhlan kill NJ. Par
emit states a restaurant keeper Of
Creil "as he was returning quietly
from lunch The Uhlan fred az a dis
lance Of seven or eight PAGES, and his
victim was hit fun in the chest and
fell stiff. Four or I've Uhlans threw
themselves on his body and rifled g."
mother inhsbitant, NJ. AieXandre, was
found wing 10 tho street with his skull
smashed H. third, NJ. Breche, a bar
keeper. was carried of and shot he
cause he could not serve the Germans
Fast enough "A man killedl" remarked
an officer; we think nothing Of It, one
secs so many. Besides, we are fired al
everywhere, so we kill and burn" He
added that Breche was q blockhead
The Germans intended the pillage Of
Greil 10 be systmatic a group Of civil
Ian prisoners were interrog stated In
lurn as 10 who were the richest men IN
their respective quarters OF the town
AhUit 100 civilians were seized In Creil
altogether and were compelled to dig
trenches for the Germans and 10 cut
down a crop Of maize 30 improve their
Held of FIRE. The Germans kept them
working a week. during which time
they gave them nothing 10 eat, but the
women Of Creil managed to bring them
food
~ Merry, on Sept. 1, the Germans
seized the manager of a sugar factory
and his r-twenty-siX persons. IN
Guiding women and children-and used
Them as a screen 20 protect their flank
against the British artillery fire. 4
foreman was wounded: a woman was
hit In the stomach and died within "a
hours. The Germans plundered the
whole village Of Merry. breaking in the
doors, and burned one house down
They plundered Trumilly on Sept g. A
lady complained D. a colonel OF non
commissioned officer who had stolen
Jewels from her worth 10000 francs
hut the colonel replied with a smile.
i am sorry, Madame, but it is war.
The same nOn-cOmmissiOned officer
forced another woman 10 lie with him
by threatening her with his riile-her
husband was with the cOlOrs. Creepy
en-Nalols was entered on Sept. 2, and
for four days the Germans poured
through. The place was thoroughly
pillaged-llnen and iewelry were, as
usual, most eagerly sought after, and
an the safes were broken open. The
Germans reached Villers-Saint-Fram-
bourg, too. on Sept 2, at . o'clock al
night. "They seized horses, slaughtered
cattle, stole bicycles, and emptied near
~ all the cellars" They also murdered
here a civilian brought from Senlis-
tieing him 10 a post with his hands
behind his back and bayonetlng him
10 death. He was not killed by bullets
for his stomach had been gashed open
and the wall behind him showed no
trace OF bullet-marks." That night al
Saint Frsmbourg a soldier VIC
lated a woman, who took refuge with
ueighbors when the man had gone
away. y was well advised to do so,
she remarks, for numbers Of soldiers
came 20 my house, directed, no doubt
by the first. They broke the windows