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

uSCdleui anu Iuoy were subsequently
used as a screen for the German
troops who were at that moment en-
gagged in a conflict with the Belgian
Army in the town itself. The Ger
mans burned number of houses at
this time. Corpses of IA civilians
were seen in the streets on this oc-
casion.
A well-educated witness, who Wis
tied the Wetteren Hospital shortly
after this date, saw the dead bodies
of a number of civilians belonging
to Alost, and other civilians wound
ed. One of these stated that he took
refuge in the house of sister-in-law;
that the Germans dragged the peo-
pie out of the house, which was on
fire, seized him, threw him. on the
ground, and hit him on the head
with the butt end of rife, and ran
him thru the thigh with bayonet.
They then placed him with seven
teen or eighteen others in front of
the German troops, threatening them
with revolvers. They said they were
going to make the people of Alost
pay for the losses sustained by the
Germans. At this hospital was an
old woman of 80 completely trans
fixed by bayonet.
Other crimes on noncombatants at
Alost belong to the end of the month
of September Many witnesses speak
to the murder of harmless civilians.
In Binnenstraat the Germans broke
open the windows of the houses and
threw fluid inside, and the houses
burst into flames Some of the in
habitants were burned to death.
The civilians were utilized on Sat
urday, Sept. 26, as a screen. During
their retreat the Germans fired
twelve houses in Rue des Trois Clefs,
and three civilians, whose names are
given, were shot dead in that street
after the firing of the houses. On
the following day heap of nine
dead civilians were lying in the
Rue de l'Argent.
Similar outrages occurred at Erpe,
village a few miles from Alost,
about the same date. The village
was deliberately burned. The houses
were plundered and some civilians
were murdered.
Civilians were apparently used as
screen at Erpe, but they were
prisoners taken from Alost and not
dwellers in that village.
DIARIES OF GERMAN SOLDIERS.
This disregard for the lives of civil
ians is strikingly shown in extracts
from German soldiers diaries, of
which the following are representa-
tive examples.
Barthel, who was a Sergeant and
standard bearer of the Second Com
pany of the First Guards Regiment
of Foot, and who during the cam
paign received the Iron Cross, says,
under date Aug. 10, 1914:
"A transport of 800 Belgians
came thru Duisburg in the morning
OF these, eighty, including Ober-
burgomaster, were shot according to
martial law"
Matbern of the Fourth Company
of Jagers, No. IL, from Marburg,
states that village between Birnal
and Dinant on Sunday, Aug. %, the
Pioneers and Infantry Regiment One
Hundred and Seventy-eight were
fired upon by the inhabitants. He
gives no particulars beyond this. He
continues
about 220 inhabitants were shot,
and the village was burned. Artil-
lery is continuously shooting-the
village lies in large ravine. Just
now, o'clock in the afternoon, the
crossing of the Meuse begins near
Dinsnt. All villages, chateaux and
houses are burned down during the
night. 1t is beautiful sight to see
the fires all around us in the dis
tance."
Bombardier Wetzel of the Second
Mounted Battery, First Kurhessian
Field Artillery Regiment, No. IL.
records an incident which happened
in French territory near Lille on Oct.
IL: eve had no fight, but we
caught about twenty men and shot
them" BY this time killing not in
a fight would seem to have passed
into a habit.
Diary No. 80 gives an accurate
picture Of what took place in Lou
vain:
What sad scene--all the houses
the railway station COM
pletely destroyed-only some foun- |
dation walls still standing. On the
station square captured guns. At |
the end of a main street there is the
Council Hall which has been COM
pletely preserved with all its beauti- |