Putnam patriot. [volume] (Putnam, Conn.) 1872-1962, 1918-09-13
TELLSOF BELGIUM'S
INVASION BY HUNS
Omer Malfroot Interests Audi
ence In Thompson With Tales
of Wars Beginning.
Talks at Howe-Marot School to Good
Sized Audience

There was a good sized gathering
at the Howe arot school in Thomp-
son, Wednesday evening, and the
gathering was we'll entertained by
Omer Malfroot, a Belgian, who was
in Brussels when the war first started.
He talked on the subject: "My I'm
pressions of War In Belgium"
About a year ago Mr.. and Mrs. NAL
froot came to America. Mr.. Nal
froot has been IN Putnam for several
weeks past selling books. He gener-
ously offers his services wherever de-
sired, and in Thompson he spoke for
the A. B. F. 3. war fund, and $50 was
realized from the collection taken.
Mr.. Malfroot is native of Belgi-
UNI. He was at Brussels when the
German invasion took place, and as
! he related his impressions the audi
ence showed intense interest. He told
little inside stories of the invasion and
pictured the Hun as he saw him, and
gave the reasons, as he felt them to
be. why acts that would not be coun-
tenanced in any of the allied armies
are overlooked by the Kaiser and his
officers.
Mr.. Malfroot told of an incident
preceding the battle of Liege. He
| told of the great odds against which
the little country was opposed, and
stated that where the Germans sent
out scouting parties numbering near
| ly a hundred the Belgians sent out
scouts in pairs. One of these pairs,
| two boys, encountered party of for
| ty-fve Germans They retreated to a
cover and there one boy said to the
other, 81 bet you can shoot that sol
der with the white decoration. ="
/ There was shot and the soldier
dropped The other lad said, Il can
get that one" There was another
shot and another dropped In all they
| killed the FIVE officers in charge of the
| detachment when, much to their sur
prise, the remaining forty threw up
their hands and surrendered Mr.
| Malfr0ot told his story to illustrate
how utterly at loss German soldiers
are when they have no officers to com
mand them.
To illustrate how King Albert of
Belgium is beloved by the people be-
cause he is a man of the people, Mr..
Malfroot told how, while the King
was on the battle front urging his sol
dicrs o do their best, he exposed him
self to the fire of the enemy. A sol
der becoming anxious for his King s
safety. stepped in front of him urg-
ing him to get down. A rifle ball
passed through the soldiers shoulder.
The soldier endeavored to take his
rifle and raise it to his shoulder so
the King would not notice he was
wounded. The King saw what had
happened and insisted on taking the
soldiers gun, and using it. until he
could have his wound dressed.
Later the King was nearly betrayed
by his chauffeur, who was German
agent. The chauffeur had promise of
reward if he would drive the King in
to the German lines, and nearly sue
ceeded. 1t was discovered just in
time that a plot was on foot. The
chauffeur was sho. erd the King took
the wheel and drove back to safety,
but not before the machine was rid
died with shot.
Mr. Mafroot tod of seeing with
his IN eyes Belgian children with
ham AZ arms cut off He said that
| in opinion the only reason that sol
diers who perpetrated such atrocities
Wee rot dealt with by high officials
of the German army were that as
long as a soldier, from the ranks up,
obeyed his superior officer, thereby
keeping the fighting machine intact
Il efficient, whatever they did be-
vond this would be overlooked
At the close MIR. Malfroot avs
| p.raete1 nv apnlauSe