Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1918-12-27


anything else picked up along tn
front
When they are getting well, the me-
learn harness making. mechanical
drawing. telegraphy, gardening, poul
Try raising. typewritng, bookkeeplnI
and the men teach the nurses how I,
make canes out OF shell cases. an,
rings Of aluminium, and slippers ant
gloves out Of blankets.
The nurses certainly work hard
They always have more to do tina.
they ought to. but they never complain
and are always cheerful and ready t.
play games when they have the time
or read to some poilu. And their worl
Is pretty dirty too: / would not like
to have to do 1t. They say there were
lots or French society ladies working
as nurses, but you never heard much
about society, or any talk about Lord
Helpus, or Count Whosis, or pink teas
or anything like that from these
nurses.
A few shells landed near our hos
pltal, while ! was there, but no patient
was hit. They knocked a shrine of Our
Lady to splinters, though, and bowled
over a big crucifx. The kitchen was
near by, and it was just the chefs luck
that he had walked over to our ward
to see a pal Of his, when a shell landed
plumb In the center of the kitchen,
n all you could see all over the bar
racks was stew.
Ihat was a regular eatless day for
us, until they rugged up bogies and got
some more dixies, and mixed I'D some
cornmeal for us. The chef made I'M
for 1t the next day, though. The chef
was a great little guy. He was a
"blesse" himself, and I guess his stom-
ach sympathized with ours.
There was a Frenchman in the bed
next to me who had the whole side of
his face torn off. He told me he had
been next to a bomber, who had lust
lit a fuse and did not think it was
burning fast enough, so he blew on II.
burned fast enough after that, and
there he was.
There was a Belgian in one of the
other wards, whom I got to know pretty
we'll, and he would often come over
visit me. He asked many uues-
lions about Dixmude, for he had had
relatives there, though he had lost
rack of them. He often tried to de.
scribe the house they had lived in. so
hat l might tell him whether It was
I'LL standing or not, but l could not
emember the place he spoke Of. Dur
ng u talks, he told me about many
ltrocities. Some Of the things he told
ne l had heard before. and some of
hem l heard Of afterward. Here are
ONE things that he either saw or
card Of from victims:
He said that when the Germans en-.
cred the town of st. Quentin, they
firing into the windows as they
assed along. First, after they had oc-
upied the town. they bayoneted every
'orkingman they could find. Then
hey took about half Of the children
they could find, and killed them
1th their musket butts. After this.
marched the remainder Of the chill.
rem and the women to the square.
they had lined up a row of male
tlzens against a wall. The women
I'd children were told that IL thew J
owed, they would all be shot. An.
'ner ME OF men was brought up, and
ade to kneel In front of the other {
en- against the wall.
The women and children began to
g for the lives Of the men, and many :
them were knocked in the head with q
IN butts before they stopped. O
Then the Germans fired at the double f
OF men. After three volleys, there O
eighty-four dead and twenty v
'unded. Most Of the wounded they
en- killed with axes, but somehow, a
rec or Tour escaped by hiding under Il
e Dodies OF others and playing dead. E
ough the officers walked I'D and "
firing their revolvers into the II
es Of bodies. S,
The next day the Germans went Il
'ough the wine cellars, and shot all 1t
, inhabitants they found hiding W
ire. A lot Of people. who had taken
uge In a factory over night, decided W
come out with a white flag. They II
allowed to think that the white tn
; would be respected, but no sooner bt
they all out than they were seized M
the women publicly violated in the of
lare, after which the men were shot. of
paralytic was shot as he sat In his
n-cha'r. and a boy of fourteen was lo
by the legs and pulled apart. M
It n place, a man was tied by the ~
to the ceiling Of his room and set an
e. His trunk was completely car. nm
lied, but his head and arms were tn
'urned. AT the same. place, the 1t
y OF a ffteen-year-old boy was -
nd, pierced by more than twenty
onet thrusts. Other dead were
nd with their hands still In the air.
ling up against walls.