The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1918-04-12
TERMONDE.

To understand the QepQSlIlonS ue-
scribing what happened at Termonde
it is necessary to remember that the
German Army occupied the town on
two occasions, the first, from Fri
day, Sept. A, to Sunday, Sept. 6, and
again later in the month, about the
18th. The civilians had delivered
UP their arms fortnight before the
arrival of the Germans.
Early in the month, probably
about the 4th, witness saw two
civilians murdered by Uhlans. An
other witness saw their dead bodies,
whicM remained in the street for ten
days. Two hundred civilians were
utilized as screen by the German
troops about this date.
On the 5th the town was partially
burned. One witness was taken
prisoner in the street by some Ger
man soldiers, together with several
other civilians. At about II O'Clock
some of the tallest and strongest
men among the prisoners were pick
ed out to go around the streets with
paraffin. Three or four carts con-
tanning paraffin tanks were brought
up, and a syringe was used to put
paraffin on to the houses, which were
then fired. The process of destruc-
tion began with the houses of rich
people, and afterward the houses of
the poorer classes were treated in
the same manner. German soldiers
had previously told this witness that
if the Burgomaster of Termonde,
who was out of town, did not re-
turn by IL o'clock that day the town
would be set on fire. The firing of
the town was in consequence of his
failure to return. The prisoners
were afterward taken to factory
and searched for weapons. They
were subsequently provided with
passports enabling them to go any
where in the town, but not outside.
The witness in question managed to
effect his escape by swimming across
the river.
Another witness describes how the
tower of the Church of Termonde st.
GILES was utilized by the Belgian
troops for offensive purposes. They
had in fact mounted machine gun
there. This witness was subsequent
ly taken prisoner in cellar in Ter
monde in which he had taken refuge
with other people. All the men were
taken from the cellar and the wo-
men were left behind. About sew
enty prisoners in all were taken;
one, brewer, who could not walk
fast enough, was wounded with
bayonet. He fell down and was
compelled to get up and follow the
soldiers. The prisoners had to hold
up their hands, and if they dropped
their hands they were struck on the
back with the butt end of rifles.
They were taken to Lebbeke, where
there were in all 800 prisoners. and
there they were locked up in the
church for three days and with
scarcely any food.
A witness living at Baagrode was
taken prisoners with ESQ others and
kept all night in field. The pris-
oners were released on the following
ling. The witness saw three
corpses of civilians, and says that
the Germans on Sunday, the 9Th,
plundered and destroyed the houses
of those who had fed. The Germans
left on the following day, taking
about thirty men with them, one a
man of 70 years of age.
Later in the month civilians were
again used as a screen, and there is
evidence of other acts of outrage.
ALOST.
Alost was the scene of fighting be-
tween the Belgian and German
Armies during the whole of the lat
ter part of the month of September.
In connection with the fighting nu-
merous cruelties appear to have been
perpetrated by the German troops.
On Saturday. Sept. II, a weaver
was bayoneted in the street. An
other civilian was shot dead at his
door on the same night. On the fol-
lowing day the witness was taken
prisoner together with thirty others.
The money of the prisoners was con-