The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1918-02-12
The Confession of a German Deserter

with dinner from Tho Yield kitchens w"
wcr.. surely hungry enough and "ur can
ned <nlu was ,.n'cn with the utmost
r"i!Sr Many soldu - set their dishes on
IN" bodies .: dead hursns lying about
and At" caily rs !! They wcr" at hu!nr
4: heir own Tables. Th" few human
rnrrS"> near r'Ir camp fri!"d 10 hiSi"r"
Us. only wa,..r was lacking. ami after
ihn djnt,.- cur ihir"t hrrIlmc very acute
even ;urt':r"uS.
"" soon marched on under 4 burning
midday sun. "a" IuSt # the highway
Iyiug th!ch on nur uniforms md SKIN.
Now. ~ :unr" riv'""!uin"sS vas evident
anywhere. oar th:rS' h"can" NOR" '":-
turns~ :tl:d WE CIV weaker iror MN
u;" l.. uI1u:" MIry in cur ranks icIL
unable 20 20 further, Nothing r"maih""
ro- our cv:I!rnand"r except 10 halt as
M. lid no; wish in exhaust us all. AS \
result oc his hai, ~ wrr" l":t co:Sid-
rrahlr - n. r.,ar and lost our r!ar"
among th"S' pursuing the fr'ucn.
Abou; u'clr@l; W" finally saw h"f"r"
us . village" In N" certain expectation
O! getting water :hrr". "" Vu!tk"A""
ON rqcr. r'ugil!vrS and empty Hur!-
,icn columns passed us. Among ih""
rn"r,. was 4 farm wagon upon which
wrr,. several civilian prisoners. appar-
.u:!,. ::..:c-;ir"urS. \ catholic priest
NJ :,s:!nrtG :l,n. ii". like III" others
ha,! his hands tied behind hm' WIN i
rr;r r. uu- curious uurst"nS as -
,rflnt H. HAD dom. We w'r" toiG iha' u"
had iurit,d thu farmers /" r"iN"n IN"
water N the village.
Sou;, We reached thG vli!"S" and IN"
first we'll at which VIC mich, hrr'' $AtIS-
rIrd our thIrS. w. found Il S"n'::."i posi-
ed He druv" us away with Il warning
that ;!:r water WAS polS"n"1.
disappointed. mud terribly "E1h'tt"r"d.
tho soldiers cursed and knaSh'd their
teeth They hurried Oh 10 ihr next wen
but everywhere scntincis forbade our
taking refreshments
In an open space in the center Of the
village w;S Il big we'll from which there
came water clear as crystal th'lt "'nptIcu
into 4 big trough Ftv" soldiers stood
,.u,rd h.gr - seq that no "n" drank.
was ju,t about :" proceed wan my com
r,dcs when "A large part 1T my com
many threw themselves like mon pos
s.sS,d onto ;hr we'll The guards were
>nmrlr;rly overcome. and. grc"dy ts
ariu;,l,> all the mon drank. They
uu.rrhcL ih"ir thirst. hut not on" BE-
,,,n., ia The priest. as We l"arh"n
later. was punished hrcausH. n" "t:i-
Gers Sa:d ;hr water IL every village had
hecn poisoned and "" were TOLD INA,
nuly by 4 Happy chance had ;hr Er"S 81
oar soldiers wEo dis"bcy"c orders been
SHARED. The God ut the Germans hhd
krp: true guard. 1t appeared out IN"
God If Tho IfrlC!anS MAS not 'hcrc 10
protect His.
In mos, OF the places we passed ""
yrrr warned not t. use III" water. rms
81 course had the effect ~ making IN"
stdicrs hate the Nc"pi" from ~hn!h
,h.v could expect only death. In in'S
w,y the vicious Instincts Of our men
were aroused.
Th. ,rarr-. nc course. was no wh"T"
,,,,.nrcd These lies were told - arouse
hatred Of the BtISians among our sol
dlcTS.
In the evening AZ dusk. VIZ r"ach"d
,.,l,,p. cus, ~ tho Iicrtrix. Their" ""
found poisoned wafer also. In me min-
Al. Of the village we halted and | couid
sen through from: window .! mousse
hcrar. which stood. In Il miscrahln
homo OF Il laborcr wc saw a woman. She
clunr 10 her children rs II AFRAID 'h"F
would h, torn away from her. Suddenly
q stone as large as fist was thrown
Ihrnl,rh the window into tho room and =
little girl vas wounded On the r'Sht
hand
In mi. village We were hillrtcd in .
h,rn with some comrades. | went 10
IN, village 20 buy fuod We obtained
nam bread and wine ut farm house
hrt ,hn uronl" refused any payment De-
cause th"y considered US guests A'F
onI.. asked that "" should nrt NNEt
them. W" paid t1'"n 7'"rcrthe'rS% LOT
everything IN German moA"y. Ih"r"'
az everywhere els" that "" went We
found tn. population IN mortal terror Oh
us. TIL. people tr"mhlcd whenever Il
German soldier entered their nome
Continued Tomorrow