The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1918-03-22
From Saturdays Daily.

From Saturdays Daily.
Davenport, March 2.-Assured by
prominent Scott county citizens that
she would be protected from any in
furiated citizens of German descent,
whom she feared would harm her If
her story was told, Mrs. Florence
Claerhout, of Buffalo township, in an
affidavit signed before Henry West
phal, justice of the peace at Buffalo,
and made public Friday, tells vivid
story of the German atrocities in Bel
GUM and brings directly home to
Scott county residents the actual
truth of the stories in spite of the
frenzied denials by the German gov
eminent.
The murder of women and chill
dron, the cutting off of hands and feet
of the children, the assassination of
priests. and the outraging of women
were common sights during the Ger
man invasion of Belgium, according
to Mrs. Claerhout's story. She even
was forced to witness the burial alive
of wounded French aviator by the
barbarous Huns.
Words Z" Saw"
Throughout Mrs. Claerhout's aiiida-
Wit occurs the words 81 saw" in mark
ed contrast to many of the stories
which show only what they heard"
Many experiences which the Scott
county woman tells were seen per-
Sonally when she went to Belgium
early in 1914 for the purpose of bring
ing to America her aged mother
and her children. Even now, while in
Scott county, Mrs. Claerhout is afraid
that the publication of the affidavit
will become known to the Germans
and her aged mother in Belgium
killed because of it.
Mrs. Claerhout's story was told as
the result of patriotic meeting held
in Buffalo last week when prominent
Davenport men spoke there in behalf
of the United States government. For
months she Has been hiding the real
story of her escape from Belgium be-
cause she feared attacks upon her,
but the speakers aroused her courage
to state where she is now willing to
make almost any sacrifice to assist
the United States authorities.
Mrs. Claerhout's affidavit in which
she tells of her flight with her two
children from Belgium, rivals any of
the stories that have been told by per-
sons who went through similar exper-
fences. Forced to flee from the in
vaders, she and the children tramped
until the shoes were worn from their
feet. Photographs accompany the
affidavit showing her passports and
her cards that allowed ner to secure
clothing and food for herself and
children. ta
She Suffered Terrible.
The terrible suffering she endured
during her flight in August, 1914, is
still apparent in her conversation, &C.
cording to Justice Wastphal, and
she retains the fear of the Germans
that were so deeply impressed upon
her in Belgium. Only after repeated
requests and assurances that she
would not be harmed, was she pre-
vailed upon to sign the affidavit re-
lating her experiences.
The affidavit is as follows:
Estate of Iowa. Scott county, IS.
81, Florence Claerhout being first
duly sworn, on my oath to depose and
say:
THAT my name is Florence Claer-
bout. l am the wife of Emil Claer-
hout. / was born in Lendelede, in the
province of West Vlaanderen, in Bel
GUM, on December II, 1884. My
maiden name was Florence Ver-
Schaete. l came to Ameica about
three years before the war broke out
in 1914. now reside on farm in
Buffalo township, Scott county, Iowa
In August, 1914. visited my old
home at Lendelede, Belgium, in the
province of West Vlaanderen, having
gone there in order to bring my chill
dren, mother and sister back here to
America. | left America for Belgium
on the 21st day of May, 1914.
On August 4, 1914, l saw the Ger
man soldiers invade Belgium. / saw
them kill and imprison male citizens
of Lendelede. / saw the German SOL