The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1918-07-11

not - used hecauSe the back Of this
sitengu consists Of -mIllImeter
sharp steel saw. In peace times the
pioneers are not drilled with the baye-
net because this sidearm should I've
used only for the special duties which
the pioneers perform--but the law of
nations Is not the law Of Prussian MILL
tarism-
FeSFere obliged 10 use the saw from
the beefnning OF the war II WIS IN
opposition to all the laws of humanity.
When an enemy had this saw In his
breast and the victim had long since
stopped every effort Of resistance aud
an effort was made 20 try and remove
the deadly steel from The wound an In
slant and horrible death resulted
Offentimes this horrible weapon he
canse embedded in the breast OF VIC
tim 50 firmly that The zttacker. who
hnd TO have back his <idearm again
would be obliged TO place his foot upon
the breast OF his victim and ..se sill his
force 70 recover the murdcrous instru-
ment
The dead and wounded In horrible
Of the wounded men would have soft
ened a stone but not the heart Of a
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 night
by their own men, SocL mistakes are
still being repeated almost daily and I
could cite many names and places to
bear out this testimony
On this particular night a captain
and FIRST Lieutenant met their fate. A
second-year Infsntryman stabbed the
captain in the abdomen and the first
lieutenant received n stab In the back.
Both died in a 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 run
somewhat ahead OF the sequence of
events As talked TO coInrade OF
my company the next day I asked him
for pocketknlfe and In reaching into
his pocket he. pulled out three car
tridges. ] was surprised that he should
carry cartridges In his trousers pocket
and asked him If he had no room In
bis belt
Il have he said. .but these three
have special mission There are
names of the insebded victims on these
bullets
Some time later after we had be-
come good friends l asked him again
about the three cartridges. He had
only one left. i thought about II II
great deal and in my mind went over
the noncommissicned officers. who. be
fore war was declared had treated us
Ike animals and whom we had hated
as only human fiends can be hated.
Two of these had found their grave In
France.
The murder OF Frenchmen who had
SURRENDERED continued as long as an
enemy was alive Then we received
or,sers TO- <sietermsRe II the enemies
lying on the ground were all dead and
unable TO fight. II anyone was found
Stimulating death IL was ordered that
he be killed. But the soldiers had lost
some of the fever which had seized
them during the battle and refused TO
obey this order. How they felt about
It was Illustrated by the remark of
member OF my company:
1--WE had better look once more and
see II the two officers are really dead
and II not they ought 10 be Killed with
out mercy for a command is com
mand."
We now advanced quickly bnt our
part In the battle was over as the en-
tire French line had retired TO make
fresh stand. two kilometers west of
Sommepy. The city WAS mostly In
flames. The enemy artillery lombard
ed the town without intermisslon and
shells burst all around.
Several hundred prisoners were cor
rallied In the market place Several
French shells struck the prisoners bu.
they were obliged TO remain where
they were. An officer OF my company.
Lieut.. A. r. Necsen. remarked that no
harm was done as the prisoners knew
at least how their own ammunition
tasted
Toward one O'Clock the battle south
of Sommepy reached Its climax. When
the Germans advanced to make storm
ing attacks on all points the French
gave up their positions and retired In
the direction of Suippes. Whether our
company was no longer considered fit
to tight or whether we were not needed
any longer I do not know. We received
orders 10 20 into quarters. But neither
a barn nor stable could be found so
that nothing remained but to camp In
the open. The houses were all filled