The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1918-10-19


Seemed Little Beside Life He Led
DrInss Letters That Tell Of Anguish
Of People In Territory Occupied by
AustrIans-
Especial Correspondence Of the Ita1ian-Ameri-
can News Bureau. Chicago)
ROme.-A new cry OF anguish rises
from the side Of the Pave held by the
Austrian arms. 1t reaches Rome
through one of our soldiers, Ferdinan-
do Caldo, a bersagliere. from Reggie
sCalabria. He was captured In Novem-
Der last by the Austrians and forced
to do such hard work and en-
dure such privations that any
risk to effect his escape seemed
little beside the life he led. He re-
solved to escape. Twice he attempted
II. and the second time succeeded.
After several months of exciting adj
ventures he crossed the Galore Alps
country. He was helped by the inhabi-
stants, who took him In and hid him.
'or fed him. Several of them entrusted
him with letters to friends or relatives
tAm AL04y 1AiE5G iCtbEIs liuFG oNGn DItO-
't0graphed for a pamphlet issued by
the army and are a further testimony
to Austrian barbarities. One of the
letters says:
'Dear Friends: / shall try to tell
you briefly of the misery of the past.
First Of all the barbarian Austrjans.
~ soon as they arrived here. entered
the houses and carried everything
on. What they could not take they
destroyed. What wine they could not
drink they poured in the cutters and
left rs poor citizens without wine and
without bread. They force us to work
without pay or food, under the spur
OF Q soldier's bayonet.
Armed Men Break In Doors.
AT night they break down the
doors to add terror to the misery Of
wofnen and girls. Often / was obliged
to Tight for my life. Here In these
provinces death gains IN us every day,
because there is nothing left to eat.
Yes. dear friends, IL you do not send
sus something we shall soon be dead"
Inside the envelope was written:
III you 60 to the front. do not be
taken prisoner, for 1t viii meal your
death.
Il have seen persons die from hun
ger. ven here"
Bsneath the address were the
words:
III you do not find the person adj
dressed. read the letter to the people,"
The letters repeat the same desper-
ate prayer, the same cry of anguish.
up to now I live," Pierina writes
her. shusband, who Is a corporal 9TH
sAlplni. 00a company. IF Italy does
mot come to our rescue, we shall die
from hunger. We have been living on
roots Cor . month";"
Maria -- writes her son Pietro:
W are LETT under the dome Of the
kyNsW4fhout q shelter-with nothing.
Here = Wishes for death as q relief
eveey moment"
Aamother writes to Signora Mar
sUher1ta a00rio. IS via Trieste. Brescia,
sask1ng for something to eat, because
NY children are dying Of hunger"
AZ insistent Is q refrain, every let
~ repeats the message of Victoria
- to Sergeant Antonio -- Of
the 240th infantry:
II the Italians do not come to de-
ahver rs we shall all die from hun
ser"
In delivering the letters the ber-
ssagliere Cald0 remarked:
AT the time / came away the re-
ssources Of the country were at the
lowest cob. owing to the repeated re-
sQulsitions Of the Austrians. The peo-
pie lived inside their houses to avoid
Acontact With or insult and injury at
the hands Of an unbridled. rough and
siGh0rant soldiery. This. however, did
not pEevent thieving and outrages
against women by armed men. Blows
were given freely to whoever did not
obey quickly.
~0eountaIneers Burned Out.
sWhole woods were burned by the
AAuDt11ons to compel the jewellers in
lonely mountain cabins to fee. Their
suu1koElnU. however, did not wear out
the morale of the peoples resistance.
s1hnlr patriotism was sharpened and
f1helr 1eG1re for freedom quickened.
skAelr charity In helping our pris-
sonerg escaping from Austria is admir-
able. They hide them. lead them over
1mo0ntaln paths at night. known only
- persons born and reared among
1hem. and through . thousand perils,
- on linog.
~Woe to deserters. II they find one.
ard they examine every soldier close
~ 70 ind ont. they drive him out of
<teor houses Ike I dog. and leave him
- help himself - best he may"
lon0RE NATlnNAl ANTHEM