The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1918-11-08

Seemed Little Beside Life He Led
Brings Letters That Tell Of Anguish
Of People In Territory Occupied by
Austrians.
Special Correspondence OF the Italian meri
can News Bureau, Chicago.)
Rome.-A new cry of anguish rises
from the side of the Pave held by the
Austrian arms. 1t reaches Rome
through one Of our soldiers, Ferdinan
do CaldO, bersagliere, from Reggie
Calabria. He was captured in Novem
Der last by the Austrians and forced
to do such hard work and en-
dure such privations that any
risk to effect his escape seemed
little beside the life he led. He re-
solved to escape. Twice he attempted
it, and the second time succeeded.
After several months of exciting adj
ventures he crossed the Galore Alps
country. He was helped by the inhabi
tants, who took him in and hid him
or fed him. Several of them entrusted
him with letters to friends or relatives
In Italy. These letters have been pho
tographed for a pamphlet issued by
the army and are further testimony
to Austrian barbarities. One of the
letters says:
"Dear Friends: I shall try to tell
you briefly Of the misery Of the past
First of all the barbarian Austrians
as soon as they arrived here, entered
the houses and carried everything
off. What they could not take they
destroyed. What wine they could moi
drink they poured In the cutters and
left us poor citizens without wine and
without bread. They force us to work
without pay or food. under the spu,
Of soldiers bayonet.
Armed Men Break In Doors.
AT night they break down the
doors to add terror to the misery OF
women and girls. Often was obliged
to fight for my life. Here In these
provinces death gains on us every day
because there Is nothing left to eat
Yes, dear friends, If you do not send
us something we shall soon be dead
Inside the envelope was written:
IF you go to the front, do not be
taken prisoner, for 1t will mean your
death.
II have seen persons die from hun
ger. even here"
Beneath the address were thu
words:
eff you do not find the person ad
dressed, read the letter to the people,
The letters repeat the same desper
ate prayer, the same cry Of anguish
"Uu to now live," Pierina write!
her husband, who Is a corporal It'll
Alpini, Goa company. eff Italy does
not come to our rescue, we shall di,
from hunger. We have been living or
roots for month"
Maria writes her son Pietro
"We are left under the dome of the
sky without a shelter-with nothing
Here one wishes for death as relief
every moment"
A mother writes to Signora Mar
gherita Gorio, 3S via Trieste, Brescia
asking for something to eat, because
my children are dying of hunger"
AS insistent as a refrain, every let
ter repeats the message Of Victorie
- to Sergeant Antonio - Of
the 249th infantry:
IF the Italians do not come to de
liver us we shall all die from hun
ger"
In delivering the letters the Der
sagliere Caldo remarked:
AT the time came away the re
sources Of the country were at thu
lowest ebb, owing to the repeated re
QUESTIONS of the Austrians. The peO
pie lived inside their houses to avoit
contact with or insult and injury al
the hands Of an unbridled, rough ant
ignorant soldlery. This, however, die
not prevent thieving and outrage!
against women by armed men. Blow!
were given freely to whoever did mo-
obey quickly.
Mountaineers Burned Out.
"Whole woods were burned by the
Austrians to compel the jewellers II
lonely mountain cabins to flee. Theil
sufferings, however, did not wear on
the morale Of the peoples resistance
Their patriotism was sharpened ant
their desire for freedom quickened.
"Their charity in helping our pris
oners escaping from Austria is admir-
able. They hide them, lead them over
mountain paths at night, known only
to persons born and reared among
them, and through thousand perils
to our lines.
"Woe to deserters. If they find one
and they examine every. soldier close
ly to find out, they drive him out Of
their houses like dog, and leave him
to help himself as best he may"