Evening journal., 1918-06-14

Last night. at 10 o'clock, the First
Battalion Of the i7sth entered the burn
ed village north OF Dinant (Belgium)
A sad and yet beautiful sight that made
one shiver. Right at the entrance lay
about fifty citizens. shot for having
fired from ambush upon our troops. In
the course OF the night many more
were shot, so that we could count more
than two hundred. Women and chill
dren, with lamps In their hands, were
forced 10 witness the horrible specta-
Gle. We then ate our rice among the
corpses; we had eaten nothing since
morning.
Philip (Kamenz Saxony). i7sth Reg
iment, First Battalion, First Company
Bedier, Ibid. p. 10.
Langeviller (Aug) 22 Village de-
stroyed by the iith Pioneers. Three
women hanged TO trees. "a week later.)
60 we have restroyed eight houses with
their inmates. Out OF one house alone,
two men with their wives and an eigh-
teen-year-old girl were bayOneted. The
girl made me feel badly, she gave such
an innocent look; but nothing could be
done against the excited crowd, for at
such times they are not men but
beasts.
Unsigned notebook OF a soldier, pp. 1,
10: Bedier, ibid, pp. s., IL.
Orchies (Nord, France.) All the civil
ians were arrested. A woman was shot
because she did not stop at the cry
"Haltw but tried to run away. After
this, burning OF the whole village.
Unsigned notebook Of a soldier; Be
der, ibid, p. IS.
Aug. 25 (in Belgium). From the town
300 were shot. Those who survived
the volley were forced to act as grave
diggers. The women were a sight; but
there IS no other way. In our march
OF pursuit to Wilot things went better;
the inhabitants who wished 10 leave
were permitted 10 go where they
pleased. But those who fired were
shot. As we marched out OF Owele
there were rifle shots; and then there
was fre-women and everything.
Reservist Schlauter, Third Battery,
Fourth Field Artillery Of the Guard;
Bedier ibid, p. ~.
Parie' the first village burned; then
there was no stopping damn ging's
los) one village after the other In
ilames. We rode on our wheels ..
tn we reached a ditch where
we ate cherries.
Sebastian Reissaupt, Third Bavarlsn
Infantry, First Bayarian Corps; Bedier,
ibid, p. %.
(Incendiary) bombs thrown into the
houses. In the evening miltary chorus: !:
Nun danket ale Gpttg'
Moritz Crosse, t77th Infantry, de-
scribing the sacklng OF Dlnant, Bel
GUM: Bedier, ibid, p. 20.
Civilians as Fire Screens.
We have arrested three more civil
fans. and a good idea occurs to me.
They are set on chairs and made TO
understand that they are 10 sit In the
middle OF the street Wringing Of
hands and supplications on the one
side, a few blows with rifle-butts on
the other. Little by little one be-
-eomes frightfully hardened Finally
they are seated outside in the street.
How many prayers they calculated,
do not know; but all the time their
hands were folded conyulsively. How
ever sorry ! am for them. the device |
helps US, and at once. The firing on
our flank from the houses ceases in
stantly; we can now occupy the OPP
pesite houses and are thus masters
OF the main street. Now, whoever
shows himself In the main street is
shot down. Meanwhile, the artillery
has also worked brlskly, and when, to-
wards seven in the evening, the brigate
advances TO storm the city and rescue
us, am able to report: 'St. Die is clear
Of enemies"
As heard later, the regiment OF re-
serves which forced its way into ST.
Die further north had quite similar eN-
periences. Their four civilians, whom I
they had likewise made to sit in the
street, were, however, shot by the
French. I myself saw them lying in
the middle Of the street, near the hos
pital.
A. Eberlein, Bayarlan first lieutenant