The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1918-09-13


were eighty-four dead and twenty
wounded. Most OF the wounded they
then killed with axes. but somehow
three or four escaped by hiding under
the bodies OF others and playing dead
though the officers walked up and
down firing their reyolyers into the
piles OF bodies.
The next day the Germans went
through the wine cellars. and shot all
the inhabitants they found hiding
there. A lot Of people. who had taken
refuge In factory over night decided
TO como out with white flag. They
were allowed to think that the white
flag would be respected. but no sooner
were they NIL out than they were seized
and the women publicly violated in tho
square, after which the men were shot
A puralytic was shot as he sat In his
armchair. and a boy OF fourteen was
taken by the legs and pulled apart.
At one place, a man was tied by the
arms TO the ceiling OF his room and set
ahre. His trunk was completely cur.
bombed, but his head and arms were
unburned. At the same place. the
body OF ffteen.year-old boy was
found. pierced by more than twenty
bayonet thrnsts. Other dead were
found with their hands still in the air,
leaning up against walls,
At another place the Germans
shelled the town for a day. and then
entered and sacked II. The women
aid children were turned loose, with
out being allowed TO take anything
with them, and forced 10 leave the
town. Nearly five hundred men were
deported TO Germany. Three, who
were almost exhausted by hunger, tried
to escape. They were bayoneted and
dubbed to death. Twelve men. who
had taken refuge In a farm. were tied
together and shot In mass. Another
group OF six were tied together and
shot. after the Germans had put out
their eyes and tortured them with
bnyonets. Three others were brought
before their wives and children and
sabered.
The Belgian told me he was ut Ma
muir when the Germans began Smelling
II. The bombardment lasted the whole
OF August p and %. 1914 They CEN
tered their fire on the prison. the hos
pltal and the railway station. They
entered the town at four o'clock In the
afternoon OF August %. During the
first twenty-four hours. they behaved
themselves. but on the oath they began
firing at anyone they pleased. and set
fire TO different houses on 1--WE of the
principal squares.
Then they ordered every one TO leave
his house, and those who did not were
shot The others. about four hundred
in all. were drawn up In front of the
church. close TO the river bank. The
Belgian said he could never forget how
they all looked.
" can remember Just how II was"
he said. There were eight men. whom
] knew very well. standing in a row
with several priests. Next came two
good friends Of mine named Balbau
and Guillaume. with Balbau's seven
teen-year~old son, then two men who
had taken refuge In a barn and had
been discovered and blinded; then two
other men whom had never seen be-
fore.
ut was awful to see the way the
women were crying-'Shoot mo too.
shoot me with my husband"
"The men were lined up on the edge
of the hollow, which runs from the
high road.to the bottom Of the village.
One Of them was leaning on the shoul-
ders of an old priest, and he was cry
ing, i am too young-I can't face
death bravely.'
II couldn't hear the sight any longer.
I turned my back to the road and COW
cred my eyes. heard the volley and
the bodies falling. Then some one
cried. Look, they're all down. But a
few escaped"
This Belgian had escaped by hiding
-he could not remember how many
days-in an old cart filed with manure
ohh AuppiSh- ne udu ChtWtu Oiu hiuCu
fop food. had swan across the river.
and hid In q mud bank for almost a
week longer, and finally got to France.
He took 1t very hard when we talked
about Dixrnude, and I told him that
the old church was just shot to pieces
He asked about painting called the
Alteration OF the Magi," and one of !
the other prisoners told us 1t had been
,ayed and transported to Germany. If
hat is true. and they do not destroy
I meanwhile. we will get It back, don't |
uorryl
My wound was just clean gunshot
wound and not very ser:ous so. al
hough 1t was not completely healed,
hey let me go after three weeks. But
before went. saw something that
10 man of us will ever forget Some
i them took VOWS just like the men
4 the legion ! have told about.
One OF the patients was German
loctor. who had been picked up in No