Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1919-02-27
AWFUL TREATMENT
As HUN PRISONER
South Dakota Boy Writes OF
Brutality of Germans to Men
Captured In Battles
In France.

Lead, S. D., Feb. ga terrible tale
Oh suffering and abuse while q prisoner
OF the Germans Is related in a letter by
Martin Wooley, a Black Hills man.
from his brother, who was captured by
the Huns during Of the battles in
rance and for two months was worked
by his captors behind the lines. Some
portions of the letter contain details
unit for publication. The letter is dat
ed December 16. 1t was written after
Private Wooley had been released and
reached the allied lines.
Describing his capture and subse-
quent harsh treatment by his German
captors. he writes:
y saw thousands of men coming up
nerind our support trenches and 1
enought they were supports. but when
they came nearer I could see they were
Germans. 1 shall never forget it; /
was all alone. the only one left of my
platoon OF rs men. When they got on
topo OF me OF course I put up my hands
ana dropped my rife, and. as l did so,
Jerry took a bomb and was going
10 throw 1t at me, when one Of our
poo boys was coming u Of a dugout.
The jerry threw the bomb at him. and
ne was blown to bits. As far as l know
% OF us are living. We went in on MAY
"a with over loco men.
Without Water.
! was taken prisoner and worked
behind the German lines for two
months, carrying shells and making
railway. We were five days before
We had anything to eat or drink, and
e we asked for water a German
sergeant major brought in a pail of
water and threw it on the floor in
front Of our yes. We were working
from 2 o'clock in the morning until
10 at night. They were worked to
death.
III we yer found any potato skins
or corn they were a luxury. We had
nothing but the green grass for two
weeks. and after that we had a half
bowl of Tour and water a day. At
the end of eight weeks they collected
US together to send us to Germany,
and all that was left of us out of 1900
was 700, 500 had died Of starvation.
II a man dropped dead his clothes
were stripped off and sent to Germany.
Ind those bodies were by the roadside
when we left at the end of two months;
some were picked to the bones.
We were put in cattle trucks and
the door al closed; As men to the
truck; not a window or anything to
get ventilation, and the door was never
opened until we got to Cassel, in the
middle of Germany; five days not a
thing to eat or drink.
Worked In Mines.
eleven men died in our wagon and
we were eaten alive by lice and bugs.
1 was on the floor for three weeks;
could not stand: 1 was too weak. Then
l was sent to the coal mines and was
working underground for six months,
pushing wagons, 100 wagons a day,
from one machine to another. Each
wagon holds 1900 pounds Of coal.
w were worked to death and beat
en- all the timesand all on a half bowl
of -four and water. l did not see day
light for four months, exactly; went
down in the cage at 4 a. m. and did
not come up until 8 p. m.
THE morning the armistice was
signed I was three and a half hours
unconscious. When I came to I was in
a pool OF blood; had had my head
smashed with a revolver by a German
officer. I was dragged by the neck
from the place where I lay to the cage.
I had to work nine days after the ar
mistice was signed.
Then we walked from Germany into
Holland. where I was for three weeks.
Had plenty of food and new clothes
sent out by u government"
DRUGGISTS STOCK OF
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