Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1918-07-19
CHAPTER Ili-Continued.


received an order to surround certain
house at the left of us. Our captain
declared that a shot fired from that
house had killed a soldier. None of
US had heard anything however. The
house from which the shot was alleged
to have been fred was soon surround
ed and hand grenades thrown into it
through the windows. In a minute all
the rooms were afiame. The air pres
sure from the exploding grenades was
so great that doors In the house flew
from their hinges and the walls Of sew
eral rooms were crushed.
Almost at the same time five civil
ians ran into the streets with raised
hands. They were seized at once and
led before the officers, who constituted
themselves Immediately into a court
martial. Ten minutes later sentence
had been executed and five men lay
on the ground with eyes bandaged,
riddled with bullets.
In each case six OF our men were
always called upon to execute one
mans sentence. I am sorry to say
/
upon at this occasion The condemned
man who it was our duty TO shoot was
about forty years old. tall and straight.
He never blinked as the bandage was
put on. He was led to the garden OF
the house near by and his back placed
to the house. After our captain said
to US that 1t was our duty TO aim true
nd nd tho
our positions six PAGES in front of the
condemned man. The sergeant COM
handing US previously gave US instruc-
lions that we were to shoot the con- !
demned men through the breast.
Now we formed into two rows, one
behind the other. The order sounded |
to load and aim and we each put five |
cartridges into. our rifles. Prepare TO
fire"-the men in the first row knelt
down and the second row took their /
places. Our guns were now held so I
that the barrels were forward and
the butts were hip high. "Alm"-and
slowly we aimed, holding our guns
tightly with the butts against our
shoulders and our fingers on the trig-
gers.
The sergeant paused half minute
and then ordered us to fire. / do not
know to this day whether our victim
died at once, nor was there ever an
opportunity TO learn how many Of the
six bullets found their mark. All day
l went around like a man in trance,
myself bitterly for having
acted the part of executioner. For a
long time 1 could not bear to speak
about 1t to my comrades, for / felt
guilty, and yet what could we soldiers
do other than execute the orders given
US?
In the evening we went into camp
In an open field, pitching tents. and the
next day continued our march.
The country through which we
passed was uninteresting and offered '
nothing In the way Of variety. The
lew tiny villages through which we r
passed had all been abandoned. and b
he poor-looking houses mostly de- Il
troyed Long trains Of fugitiyes {
,assed us continually. These people a
we're as a rule those who had escaped 5
When the French army retreated and Z
we're returning now TO find their b
ZONES destroyed by the rough hand of s
var. a
After long march. interrupted only G
v halts and short bivouacs, we ap- n
reached the large Belgian-French Dor b
er town of Sugny, located on the Bel b.
ian side of the border 1t was about
Don, and as the thunder of cannon di
onstantly grew stronger. which indi- OF
ated that a new battle was develop lie
lg. we hoped to be able to remain In
le town overnight About one O'CLOCK al
e entered and were billeted In big tn
arm. Most of the soldiers refused to fe
1t from the field kitchens, and requi- ar
toned eggs, chickens, geese and
,ung pigs. Soon everybody was or
'oking. am sorry to say that most 81
those who foraged had refused to de
" for what they had taken. wi
Several soldiers now arrived with In
rrels of wine and also many bottles, vi
hIch were instantly opened and emp VII
ID. The obvious resulted, and soon mi
any noncommlsssoned officers and tic
IN were heiplessly drunk. The owner my
our barn had possessed three large inl
gs. One of the drunken noncom-
ssioned officers tried to kill one OF cit
ase hogs with 4 dull pocket knife. l
had tortured the poor beast almost FOR
death when the animal was merci- fer
ly killed by a bullet. A few min Co
IS afterwsrd the officer went to tot
en- This was only an example and we