The Idaho Springs siftings-news. (Idaho Springs, Colo.) 1905-19??, 1919-01-24
CHAPTER lIl-Continued.

CHAPTER lII-continued.
~
A. we were marching We suddenly
received an order to surround a certain
house at the left Of %. Our captain
declared that q shot fred from that
house had killed a soldier. None OF
- had heard anything. however. The
house from which the shot was alleged
% have been fred was soon surround
"a and hand srenades thrown into 1t
through the windows. In minute all
the rooms were afame. The air psss-
suFe from the exploding grenadss was
SO great that doors in the house new
from thsar hinges and the walls Of sew
eral 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 I'VE men lay
on the ground with eyes bandaged.
Ssddled with bullets.
In each case six Of our men were
always called upon to execute one
mans sentence. ! am sorry to say
that I was one Of the thirty called
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
he house near by and his back placed
- the house. After our captain said
10 US that it was our duty to aim true
and end the tragedy quickly. We took
cur positions six PAGES In front Of the
condemned man. The sergeant com
manding Us previously gave N instruc-
lions that we were to shoot the con-
dsmned 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
nre"-the men In the first row knelt
down and the second row took their
places. Our guns were now held so
that the barrels were forward and
the butts were hip high. "Aim"-and
slowly we aimed, holding our guns
lightly with the butts against our
shoulders and our fingers on the trig-
gers.
The sergeant paused 4 half Minute
and then ordered rs to IRE. do not
know to this day whether our victim
died at once, nor was there ever an
opportunity to learn how many Of the
ok bullets found their mark. All day
/ went around like a man in a trance,
approaching myself bitterly for having
acted the part of executioner. For a
long time 1 could not bear to speak
about it to my comrades, for l felt
guilty, and yet what could we soldiers
DO other than execute the orders given
81
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
few tiny villages through which we
passed had all been abandoned, and
the poor-looking houses mostly de-
stroyed. Long trains OF fug1tives
passed as continually. These people
were as rule those who had escaped
when the French army retreated and
were returning now to find their
homes destroyed by the rough hand OF
war.
After a long march. interrupted only
By halts and short bivouacs. we ap-
preached the large Belgian-French Dor
der town Of Sugny, located on the Bel
gian side of the border. 1t was about
noon, and as the thunder OF cannon
constantly grew stronger. which lnoi-
Gated that a 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 big
barn. Most Of the soldiers refused to
eat from the field Kitchens. and reQui-
sdtioned eggs, chickens. geese and
young pigs. Soon everybody was
cooking. I am sorry to say that most
u those who foraged 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
Ted. The obvious resulted. ana soon
many noncommissioned off1cers ana
men were helplessly drunk. The owner
q our barn had possessed three large
hogs. One Of the drunken noncom-
miasioned officers tried to kiil one OF
tAese hogs with 4 dull pocket knife.
He had tortured the poor beast almost
to death when the animal was merci-
fully killed By bullet. few min
0tss afterWard the oficer went 10
Veoep. This was oaly an example ana