The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1918-04-18
TELLS OF TORTuRES METED GUT
TO WAR PRISONERS IN GERMANY
Bdian Describes How Guards, Chosen Especially for Their Rru'
taty, Beat Helpless Captves Into nsensbOty-man Are
Worked to Death Under Horrible Conditions Food
Intentionally Is Made Revolving.

Gus vapors which bring on an ire
sistible drowsiness.
Guards Chosen for Cruelty.
AT the end of a few months the la
borers break u with persistent boils
and incurable running sores, the
slightest scratch often developing into
a deepening wound, which grows
larger and larger. The fate of the
captives employed In these mines Is
horrible and would excite pity even In
their guards IL the authorities had not
been so cunning as to appoint for this
office soldiers and noncommissioncd
officers Of well-tested energy
'The chief of the detachment Is a
German noncommIssioned officer
whom the prisoners have nicknamed
the Crocodile He Is a regular giant,
hideously deformed, but OF enormous
strength. His hands. elbows, shout
ders, knees and ankles are all out Of
shape. His face Is bestial and bears.
like his body, the characteristics of a
criminal. Not a day passes but that
he strikes the prisoners. To do this,
he takes the victim to his own room.
shuts and locks the door, places his
watch on the table-for the time OF
the torture, five, ten or fifteen minutes
lis fixed beforehand. Then he falls
to with his fists, his booted feet and
even sometimes a bayonet. When his
victim has tainted the Crocodile
opens the door and kicks him out.
Anyone who complains Of being iii
Is thrown from his bed and beaten
for n long time with the butts Of rifles
by guards under the 'Crocodile's' or
ders. On December 10, 1916, the Ger
mans treated four English prisoners
had lost consciousness. Then they
carried them into the mine, where they
were left until they had dug or loaded
their quota of carloads Of salt.
Injured Men Unattended.
This mine Is such a hell hat some
of II have not hesitated to mutilate
themselves. The Germans, fearing
these acts might be repeated, decided
to leave all wounded men without
treatment for three weeks, whether
their injuries were voluntary or not"
The statement says that accidents
are very frequent In these mines, and
that the most elementary precautions
are neglected and every week the local
newspapers tell of some catastrophe
In the mines In which 10, 20 or 80 pris'
oners have been killed.
! D. also tells In detail of the work
the prisoners have to do In the
marshes and swamps. and say that In
some of the swamp "kommandos" the
conditions are as horrible as the mines,
and especially mentions the Teufel-
moor swamp, which Is supplied from
province of Hanover. He says:
Food 10 Revolving.
AT Teufelmoor the prisoners arr
fed especially with food made for then
OF bran, chopped straw and other sub
stances of which the nature is no
known. The soup Is Intentionally made
OF sinking material and INTENTIONAL.
facilitating. Blows with the butts o
rifles are dealt for no reason whatso
ever. They must toll without respite
Under this treatment they rapid.
waste away. Some hold out for tw,
months. Some try to find ways to xii
themselves.
"When a prisoner reports himself a
III and his claim Is disallowed the Sci
geant major condemns him to all
200-gallon vat with a sardine boz
bringing the water from a pump abou
go feet distant. In doing this he |
constantly watched by q guard, VIII
beats him and insults him at his pleas
ure. Another punishment very FRI
quently employed consists In maxim
prisoners run at full speed around tn
camp with sacks full Of stones O
their heads. Every 90 feet the victlr
must stop. put down the sack In tn
mud, then lift II to his head again, b'
gin to run once more, and SO on, owe
and over"