Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-10-24
Hundreds of Persons Shot
Under Orders of Tyrant
Port Commander
INNOCENTS ARE SLAIN
Thievery Without Parallel by
Officers and Soldiers Who
Have Made Fortunes
BY WALTER DURANTY
Special Cable 10 Bvening Public Ledger

tRNts0t SoVtt " DtN"s't ec'S DNNtN
Copyricht, 1918, b. Nc0 YORK Times co.
I,ruge.. oct a.
German rule IN Bruges was marked
by combination Of cruelty and cor-
ruption without parallel since the days
Of Spanish tyranny Ia Flanders, Supreme
powers over the city were vested IN the
port commander, Admiral Non schroeder.
who proved "A worthy successor TO the
Infamous Duke of Ava. BY Schroeder's
orders hundreds Of persons haze been
shot after the travesty Of q trial on the
scantiest evidence
For case OF espionage presumption
; Is sufficient evidence and proof unneccs-
sary" was one of his sayings. and an
other: 1T is better 20 shoot score Of
innocent people than Jet one spy escape. ~
on that system the Germans did jus
tice" in Flanders
Z The most notorious case was the muir
der of Captain FryatJ. 7 talked today
with a man named Schalerguc, whose
cousin shared a cell with Fryatt during
the trial After a brief hearing the cap
lain was removed from tue court Wnle
his judge delberated
Il fear there is little hope said Fry
att. "They call It a trial but II looked
like put-up Job 10 me Everything
was cut and dried -or condemnation
Hardly were the words out of his
mouth than they came and led him
away, and five minutes later the Belgian
heard the fatal volley IN the court yard
Fryatt's body lies IN a namelcss grave
in a corner of the cemetery but it is
said that the sexton has a record o:
the exact spot.
II is worthy of note that before his
departure a few days ago the German
military judge Zepfcl, who presided at
F'ryatts trial, declarec:
"The British will want my head in
payment of Fryatt's life. but ii is
Schroeder alone who is responsible l
simply obeyed his orders. which insisted
absolutely on the death penalty"
Respites Are Torture
An even more horrible case was that
OF Belgian named De La Place and
his three companions. condemned to be
shot after a half hours trial. At dawn
the following morning they were led out
10 the~ courtyard of Lancers' barracks
whore the execution took place. and were
fastened to posts opposite which a firing
squad was ready.
Just as the last knot was being tied
an officer entered the courtyard crying,
"Admiral's orders Your appeal has been
heard" And all four were taken back
to prison.
Incredible as it may seem, this hideous
farce was repeated a week later, with a
similar respite at the last moment Then
after another fortnight's imprisonment.
during which the Belgiang continued
protesting their innocence Of all charges
against them. they faced firing squad
for the third time ana the death sentence
was carried out. v.,.,
One of them named Ciloovers. had be-
come raying maniac since the second
application OF torture but the Germans
knew no mercy. Soldiers bore him out
and fastened him to the execution post
with the others.
The court made no attempt to discrirn
mate in espionage cases. An ex-mer-
chant skipper who was arrested with
four others, made full confession of his
own guilt in the hope OF saving the lives
of his comrades. who were in nowise
implicated and who were innocent. The
sacrifice was vain. All were pitilessiy
shot .~
The shippers turn came last and he
refused to be bound Or to have his eyes
bandaged. Standing with folded arms,
he looked the firing squad in the face
and cried. You have killed innocent
men. ] alone am \ volley cut short
his words.
The Inhabitants state that they always
knew when executions took place be-
cause it was the invariable custom to
have band playing in the square OUT
side the barracks to drown. the sound of
the shots.
AS throughout the invaded territory.
minor punishments were literally rained
on the people. One English woman. Mrs.
Grant Dalton, was actually fined 400
marks. or a weeks Imprisonment. for
wearing an anti-German expression in
the official bureau" the very words of
the condemnation notice, which her hus-
band showed me although she had not
uttered single word or made the slight
est gesture.
Germans Steal Fortunes
The corruption of the Germans sur
passed their cruelty, especially during
the last six months.
I'VE all know therell be no Jobs in
Germany after the war. so we will make
hay while the sun shines" said one
ttIkcdnt III lUlDuutnN Oh
share in a big smuggling operation.
Nearly all the frontier guards, Of
ncers and privates alike, made fortunes
among which 100000 marks was the
lowest figure.
This is the business firm of Wilhelm
4 Co, Inter den Linden" said AN Of
ficer OF the supply department, who un-
blushlngly sold anything the Belgians
cared to pay for from the stores under
his charge.
At Ghent a great scandal was revealed
about six months ago, A man of the
Client supply department stan bought
an estate for 100000 marks in Luxem-
burg. In the course of the legal formal
ties of sale, the document in relation
thereto fell by error into the hands oi
the chief OF another department, who
Instituted an inquiry. A gigantic sys-
tenn of robbery was brought TO light ir
which almost the whole supply depart,
ment was implicated. The Illicit
transactions. chiefly concerning the sale