The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1918-07-25

earlier and later instances. that there /
should not be many prisoners taken
The pioneer has a sidearm which.
according to the law OF nations must
nOt be use,i because the back tof Ibis |
sidearM consists of three-millinetei |
sharp steel saw. In peace times the
pioneers are not drilled with the bayO-
used only for the special duties which
the pioneers ..2rfOrm-but the law of
nations is not the law Of Prussian mill
tarism.
We We're obliged to use the saw from
the beginning of the war. 1t was In
opposition to all the laws of humanity.
When ain enemy had this saw in his
breast and the victim had long since
stopped every effort of resistance and
an effort was made to try and remove
the deadly steel from the wound an in
slant and horrible death resulted.
Oftentimes this horrible weapon be-
came embedded in the breast of vic
tim so firmly that the attacker, who
had to have back his sidearm again
would be obliged to place his foot upon
the breast of his victim and use all his
force to recover the murderous instru
ment.
The dead and wounded in horrible
condition lay all around us. The means
of the wounded men would have soft,
ened a stone but not the heart of Il
PruSsian soldier.
Not all the soldiers approved this
senseless. wanton murder. Some Of
those officers who had ordered us to
kill the French were themselves killed
by mistake in the darkness of the nigh
by their own men. Sucn mistakes art
still being repeated almost daily and |
could cite many names and places to
bear out this testimony.
On this particular night captain
and first lieutenant met their fate. A
secOnd-year infantryman stabbed the
captain in the abdomen and the first
lieutenant received stab in the back
Both died in few minutes. Neither
Of their slayers felt any remorse and
none of us felt inclined to reprOach
them. We all knew that two murder
ers had received their just deserts.
Another instance requires me to rur
somewhat ahead of the sequence Of
events AS talked to coinrade Of
my company the next day asked hin
/ for il pocketknife and in reaching int
his pocket he pulled out three car
tridges. | was surprised that he shOult
| carry cartridges in his trousers poke
and asked him if he had no room il
his belt.
81 have" he said, "but these three
have special mission. There ar
names of the intended victims on thes
bullets"
Some time later after we had be
come good friends asked him agai
about the three cartridges. He ha
only one left. l thought about it
great deal and in my mind went owe
the noncommissioned officers. who, bt
fore war was declared had treated Il
like animals and whom we had hate
rs only human fiends can be hatet
Two of these had found their grave
France.
The murder of Frenchmen who ha
surrendered continued as long as a
enemy was alive. Then we receive
orders to determine if the enemie
: lying on the ground were all dead an
:, unable to fight. If anyone was foull
Stimulating death it was ordered tn;
he be killed But the soldiers had TO
: some of the fever which had seize
them during the battle and refused
:. obey this order. How they felt abo
;. it was illustrated by the remark OF
member of my company:
:, 1--WE had better look once more al
see if the two officers are really de;
and if not they ought to be killed wit
:. out mercy for a command is col
y mand."
We now advanced quickly but o
part in the battle was over as the
;. tire French line had retired to una
a fresh stand, two kilOmeters west
= Sommepy. The city was mostly
:, flames. The enemy artillery bombal
ed the town without intermissiOn a
:, shells burst all around.
II Several hundred prisoners were c.
~ rallied in the market place. Sever
81 French shells struck the prisoners
i. they were obliged to remain WHIT
" they were. An officer of my compal
PC Lieut.. A. II. Neesen, remarked that
20 harm was done rs the prisoners KIN
+. Mt least how their own ammInltl
N tasted.
is Toward one O'Clock the battle sol
H. of SOmmepy reached its climax. WI
in the Germans advanced to make stoi
Or ing attacks on all points the Frer
is gave up their positions and retired
the direction of Suippes. Whether
We company was no longer considered
70 to fight or whether we were not neet
Id any longer do not know. We recei'
ST orders to 20 into quarters. But nett
he a barn nor stable could be found
al that nothing remained but to camp
p,l the open. The houses were all III
nc with wounded. Citizens of the to-
If who had not fed were all gathered
a large barn. Their houses were M
10 " destroyed SO that they had to M
no use of what shelter was offered til
n, There was one exception to this
NJ. rangement and that was very old
re tie motheriy woman sitting, bite
Ia. CRYING. by the debris Of her late nc
al. and nobody could induce her to lie;
ed In the barn. which served as s
ed ter to the civilians. were thrown
atS gether men and women. youths,
on xl.o,, o,,.l old man MnnN were W0l