The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-12-18
ASTONISHING WORK OF ALLIED
 SECRET SOCIETY IN BEL Cl(jEa How Thousands of British Prisoners Were Freed By Men, Women and Children Who Lived In
 Occupied Districts.

wounded, and in need of immediate , medical attention, the Germans hay ing failed to do anything for them during their period of captivity. It was nothing short of a scandal that such men should have been compelled to march through the streets under such conditions.
 We sought the assistance of Dr. Le- roy, who for nearly four years labor ed with us, g.ving most of his time to minister.ng to the wants of escaped prisoners. For this he never receiv- ed as much as a penny. Had he chosen he could have made large fees by attending the wives and families of the large army of German officials who came into Brussels once the oc- cupation was complete, for he was very clever doctor, and rather popu- far. He was always ready to turn from the richest of patients to at tend to these poor pr.soners who 1 could only reward him with their l gratitude.
 In May last year Leroy paid with ! his life for his devotion to these un- fortunate men. He had been sum moned from his surgery during the night to attend to a case of illness at ] the house of the Governor-G General. i On the way to answer this call he was ! told of a prisoner belonging, to the | Cameron H ghlanders who was in a ] critical condition. Without hesita- ] ton he took the risk of offending the ! Germans, and came to the aid of the i prisoner, who was named George Mo 1 6ilop.
 The Germans who had come to sum '.
 nor General was apparently suspicious 1 over the change of plan. and had the doctor followed to the house in which l NJ Kiilop lay. Dr. Leroy was dragged from the bedside of his patient and ] charged with assisting spies and 1 other enenl2 es of Germany. M'KiUop ! was put on trial with him, and the most amazing lies were told to beaI ! out the charge against them. Like i many more of those associated with i us, the doctor. was offered his life on i one conditton-that he betray those
 who were helping the prisoners to es- i cape, for the Germans were aware ! by then that there was in existence some organ-zaton like ours.
 ] Cruel Torture.
 ! The better to aid them in their plan to induce the doctor to betray us, they brought his young wife and 1 baby daughter to the place of execu- ! ton when the offer of life was being l made. Once more that scene, so 1 often enacted in those terrible days, l was gone through. The firing party i lined up in view. of the distracted | wife, and the doctor was told that he
 had to make h-s choice in the space | of five minutes. He looked appealing 1 ly at his wife, and then at their baby 1 girl scarce able to toddIe.
 1 The little one seemed to regard everything as got up for it's amuse-
 ment. Straying from it's mothers
 side, 1t toddled towards the line where the firing party stood with
 their rifles grounded. It got hold of
 one of the rifles, and looked smiIingly into the face of the man holding it. Even the hardened German soldiers could not keep back their tears The ! mother brought the child back. to her
 side, and then started to answer the 1 unspoken question of the husband as the officer in charge of the firing party put the question for the last time. ''Oh, my darling," she said in a voice that was firm with the f:rmness of resignation under a strong sense of
 duty it is hard to part with you but I would rather we should part a, thou i sand times than that you should be false to our country in this hour of trial. You know your duty, dearest. Do not let thoughts of me and the baby influence you. We shall not lack
 bread because of your noble sacrifice Let them do their worst. Farewell!'' Child's Applause. As she finished speaking the brave
 woman held up the little girl to re- cpsya Ia ST ITis OP
 Then husband and wife embraced fer Vently, and the German officer came and told the condemned man to pre- part for his fate, since he had made his choice With unlbandaged eyes and firmly erect figure the brave doctor faced the firing party. The order was given, the Volley rang out, and the doctor fell dead against the wall
 The little girl looked somewhat sur prised at first at the sound of the vol ley, but, after the first surprise was over, looked around with wide-open eyes, smiled in her pretty baby way
 and then clapped her little hands as though applauding some clever at
 tempt to amuse her. As for the mother, she stood as though riveted to the ground, until the sounds of the Volley had died away. Then she set
 the baby on the ground, and ran to-
 
 planted a passionate kiss on the fac.
 of the dead hero. and afterwards,
 picking up the infant, she walked
 from the scene of the tragedy like one
 in a dream.
 It was from M'KilIop that I had the
 above facts regarding the fate of Dr.
 Leroy. The doctor was only one Of many who sealed with their lives
 their devotion in those days of terror
 l was just recalling the other day
 that of the eight of those who met
 that night in Brussels to start this
 work of aiding Allied prisoners I am the only survivor. The other seven
 were shot by the Germans or died in
 filthy prisons after they had been
 captured in aiding the prisoners.
 Of these seven who joined me in
 pioneering this good work, four were
 Be!g.a .ans---ATM. Jean Leroux, Paul
 Gerard, Louis Beville, and Guillaume
 PieteTs---While two were Irfshmen, lDr. O'Hara and MT. John Murphy,
 The seventh was young French wo-
 man, who had come to Brussels to
 finish her art studies, and was en-
 gagged to be married to O'Hafa