The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1918-07-04

to sssiss In transporting these NOR
tHrs. and long, heavy ropes were car
raed Tor this purpose. This happened
most freasently whenever the guns
had fe be taken off y highway and
brought into firing position
soos we arrived at the city Of Ber-
frix- We found many houses mt the
right and left Of us burning brightly.
They had been set aire. We learned.
because persons in them had fired On
passing soldiers. In front Of one of
these houses was a hslf-burned man
ard woman with their fifteen or dx-
teen-year-old son AL; were covered
with straw. A little way farther ON.
three more civilians were living dead
In the same street.
AS We were marching we suddenly
received an order 70 surround a certain
hcHse ~ the left af us. Our captain
declared that shot nred from that
house had killed n soldier None of
us had heard anything. however. The
house from which the shot was alleged
to have been f1red was soon surround
ed and hand grenades thrown into 1t
through the windows. In minute all
il,e ROOMS were aname The air pres
sure from the exploding grenades was
70 great tiiat doors in the house dew
from their hinges and the walls of sew
ersi rooms we're crushed.
Almost at the same time i've 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 nve men lay
on the ground with eyes bandaged.
rfddled with bullets
In each case six Of our men were
always called upon to execute one
mans sentence. am sorry to nay
that was one Of the thirty called
uE.on a, this occasion. The condemned
man who II WAS our duty TO shoot was
about forty years old. tall and straight
He never biinked az the bandage was
put on. He was led TO the garden OF
the house near by aud his back placed
to the house. After our captain said
10 US that II Was our duty to aim true
and end the tragedy quickly, We took
our positions six PAGES In trent Of the
condemned man. The sergeant COM
manding us previously gave us instruc-
tIons that We were to shoot the con-
demned men through the breast.
Now we formed istc two rows, one
behind the other. The order sounded
to load and aim and ve each put I'VE
cartridges into our rines. Prepare TO
fre"-the men In the nrst row knelt
down and the second row took their
piacsa. Our guns were now held 90
that the barrels were forward and
the butts were hip high. "Aim--and
slowly We aimed. holding our guns
uxhfiy with the butts sEsfnst our
shoulders and our nnEers ON ene lrrS-
gers-
The sergeant paused q half minnie
and then ordered Es 70 IRE. ] do not
know to this day whether our victim
died at once. nor was tbsre ever an
opportunity to learn how many OF the
az bullets found their marx. All day
! v1nf around Hike = man IN q trance.
reprcecfinE myself bitterly for having
acted the part Of exeeutioner. For .
long time could not bear 10 speak
about Il to my comrades, for l felt
guilty. and yet what could We soldiers
DO other than execute the orders given
usf
In the evening We went into camp
In an open field. pitching tents. and the
-~<s dav continued our march.
The country through wnlcn we
passed was uninteresting and offered
nothing In the way OF variety. The
few tiny villages through which we
passed had all been abandoned. and
the pcorioosine houses mostly de-
stroyed. Long trains of fugitiver
passed US continually These people
were ms = rule those who hsd escaped
when the French army retreated and
were returning now TO end their
hoines destroyed by the rough hand of
war.
After long march. interrupted only
BY halts and short biveuacs. We sp-
preached the large Belgixn-French bor-
der town OF Susny, located on the Bel
gan side of the border. IL was about
noon, and as the thunder of cannon
constantly grew stronger. which indi-
Gated that = new battle WAS develop
Ing. We hoped TO be able to remain In
the town overnight About one o'clock
we entered and were billeted In n hig
barn. Most OF the soldiers refused to
eat from the field Kitchens. and requi-
sitioned eggs, chickens. geese and
young pigs. Soon everybody WAS
ccoking. sm sorry to say that most
OF those who forsxed had refused to
pay for what they had taken.
Several soldiers now arrived with
barrels OF wine and also many bottles.
which were Instantly opened and emp
tied. The obvious resulted. and soon