The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1918-05-28
VENT HATRED ON
NAVAL PRISONERS
Huns Reserve Their Worst for
British Seamen.
100 HORRIBLE TO PRINT
eantriss snh Guards Encouraged to
Punish eummariiy-Prisoners Beat
Ing on Bars for Release From Burn
Ing Cell Are Prodded Back With
eayonets-"The Tree" q Form Of
Torture Worse Than Anything
Known 10 inquisltion.

Torture Worse Than Anything
Known TO inquisition.
Horrible as are many of the tales
which have been published of German
brutality to prisoners OF war. there
are many others still more harrow
Ing IL they could only be printed. And
the worst tales Of all could be told Of
the Hun treatment of naval prisoners.
fortunately these prisoners are COM
parafively few In number, but the
Boche hatred of their enemies vents
itself. for reasons which probably
seem good to them, In greatest meas
ure against the British navy.
have been permitted to read some
letters from English seamen which
somehow have, escaped the eyes of
the German censors. Some of the
stories one would not dare to quote.
They are horrible beyond description,
says a writer In the New York Her.
aid.
The flthiest Of stables or vermin In
tested COW sheds are good enough for
the "English swine" from the sea.
Guards Laugh 10 Men Die.
Were 1t not for the parcels of food
sent from England by the Prisoners
Aid society they could not possibly
live, and wen the best Of that food
often reaches them. To COM
plain Ii to risk punishment for in
subordination. Sentries and guards
are encouraged by their officers to
punish summarily, without am
charge or sending them up for court
martial, which Is always a farce any
way. And those sentrles, who would
seem to be men selected for their lack
Of feeling. are never slow In taking adj
vantage OF opportunities that present
themselves Of inflicting the most in
human tortures on their prisoners.
Picture a cell catching fire. Picture
the prisoners beating on the bars for
release. And picture the sentry, with
sprdonic laugh. sticking them
through the bars with his bayonet.
That Ii what actually happened to two
men. And their deaths we're officially
recorded as having been due to as
phyxiation.
It recalls a story I recently heard
IN the American Y. M. G. A. Eagle hut,
which q wounded Canadian soldier
told OF q brutal Hun who killed a
helpless wounded English soldier by
sticking his bayonet again and again
into his body, laughing and gloating
over the blood Is 1t dripped from the
blade.
The naval prisoners Of war are
forced to work In coal mines, labor for
which they are totally untitled. Dis
located wrists and broken limbs are
not infreQuently the result. But what
do the German slave drivers care | The
class Of work. however, to which they
delight In putting the naval prisoners
p the making Of munitions. Naturally
they rebel. But It is no use! for re-
fusal means for them one of the most
terrible Of punishments. or tortures--
THE tree"-a method Of cruclfixion
which recalls the days OF the inquisi-
ton.
Torture Of "ths Tree"
Here II how the punishment of "the
tree II described In plain and simple
language In q prisoners letter home:
"A big party Of Uhlans rode into the
camp and surrounded the men (who
had refused to work on munition max
lng) and started pushing and showing
them about. and digging them with
their rides. The Officer In charge, who
could speak English. told the men that
they were only prisoners of war, that
they would have to put up with what
they could get and do as they were
ordered. he gave them five minutes
to get to work or he would order them
to be shot.
The men were literally starving, so
that nearly all gave in. They were
marched back to work, which they had
= do with nothing to eat until eight
O'Clock 1t night.
'sBut ~ men remained on the parade
CEound, refusing to make shells to kill
their " people. They were not shot,
but far worse. The officer sent them
Into the wood and ordered them to be
0ed to trees. Some were tied up, cru
c10x fanhi0n; some were hung by one
~ o. me arm: some were made to
soand "a stools while their hands were
t1ed to trees above their heads. Then
~ stools we're kicked away from In
1er them and they were left hanging
q the mercy Of the mosquitoes, and
~ oenfKieo who came around prod