The Dermott news. (Dermott, Ark.) 1910-1977, 1918-07-18

the deadly steel from the wound an In
slant and horrible death res dlted.
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 oblige6sto 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 stone but not the heart of
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. Such mistakes are
still being repeated almost daily and
could cite many names and places TO
bear ont 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 a few minutes. Neither
of their sayers 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 a comrade of
my company the next day asked him
for pocketknife ard in reaching into
his pocket he pulled out three car
tridges. | was surprised that he should
carry cartridges in his trousers pocket
| and aske, him IL he had no room In
his belt
Il have" he said. but these three
| have n special mission. There are
names of the intended victims on these
| bullets"
Some time later after we had be
come good friends | asked him again
about the three cartridges. He had
| only one left. | thought about IL a
great deal and In my mind went over
| the noneommissioned officers. who. be-
| fore war was declared had treated US
| like 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 Freuchmen who had
surrendered continued ms long as an
enemy WAS alive. Then we received
orders to determine If the enemies
lying on the ground We're 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 10
obey this order. How they felt about
II was illustrated by the remark OF a
member of my company:
I'VE had better look once more and
see II the two officers are really dead
and ii not they ought to be killed with
! out mercy for command is com
mand."
We now advanced quickly but our
| part in the battle was over as the en-
tire French line had retired to make
n fresh stand. two kilometers west OF
| Sommepy. The city WAS mostly In
flames. The enemy artillery lombard
| ed the town without intermission ant
shells burst all around.
Several hundred prisoners were cor
rallied in the market place. Severa
French shells struck the prisoners but
they were obliged 10 remain where
they were. An officer of my company
Lieut.. A. X. Neeseu. remarked that nc
harm WAS done as the prisoners knew
at least how their own ammunition
tasted.