The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-10-05
BY MEYER HANDLER unIted Press StAlf COrresp0ndentl

Tallinn, EStonia, Oecober 0, - (Delayed) -- (UP) -- In Q wooded glen about % miles southwest Of here I've Just seen the gruesome remnants of some 280O men, women adn children who ware shot ana then burned -- both living and dead by the fleeing NaSis on September 10.
 l have seen many German atroei. ties in Russia. But it would take the talent Of Edgar Allen Poe to picture the horrors of the woods near the neat and peaceful Village Of Cloga.
 American and British correspond. ents taken to the scene by Soviet authorities agreed that it was almost impossible to conceive oi human beings perpetratins such crimes.
 What was shown us was the roast. cd remains of about 2,800 bodies and about 70 others which the Ger. mans did not have time to burn. We also met G5 survivors of the massRP ere.
 Ot ono site in the Clooga camp there lay hundreds of bodies burned black aS elnders. At another point stood three gerat pyreS upon which the Germans had burned many oi the bodies. Some bodies were still frozen in Jconyulsiye horror and some handles arms still lifted to the sky In supplicatIon.
 The Clooga camp was one Of 10 in Estonia operated by the Todt labor organization and policed by the ges. tapo.
 Most prisoners In the camps were remnants of the Jewish ghettos in Wilno and other east European cities.
 We rode to Clooga in two buses, travelling through rich fafmlands with fine gabled houses Of stone or wood. It is pleasant country and our road lay parallel to the coast not far from the Gulf of Finland.
 The Clooga Camp was a group Of stone buildings, surrounded by barbwire.
 As we approached we saw two long rows of bodies in front of the main building. There were about 30 in all, including one infant. All had been killed with heavy caliber am. munition. Some must have been shot with the muzzle ct their skulls because many of the heads had been shattered by the explosion.
 Inside the building there were more bodies sprawled near the door, evidently shot as they tried to escape. Tn the rooms were tiers of hunks where men and women lay In their own dried blood.
 Survivors told us German toin- mygunners went from room to room shooting down the prisoners ct point-blank range.
 The survivors said that on Sep. tember 10 they were drawn up for the usual inspection at 5:30 Q. m. They sensed something unusual was afoot because they were surround ed by 0estapo guards and previous ly had been told they were to be evacuated to Germany.
 About 300 of the strongest pris- oners were sent into the forest to haul Up logs and about 7:30 Q. m. the prisoners saw Q line of closed trucks arrive. Some 800 Russian war prisoners and 700 Estonians who had been brought from Tallin were Inloaded.
 The new prisoners were moved into the woods while the old prison- ers-largely Jews-were served their midday soup.
 About 2:3O p. m. the prisoners heard shots in the woods
 Here is what happened:
 Groups of about 100 prisoners were led into two-story eight room house. When one room was filled the Germans tommy -gunned the prisoners, then brought another group into a second room and soc forth. When the house was filled with dead, the Germans poured ga- soline on 1t and set 1t afire. One boy and two girls leaped from Q window and escaped.
 Other victims were burned on three pyres. A fourth pyre was built but not used.
 Survivors said the victims were forced to lie face down on layer of logs, forming a great square. 0estapo men then shot each in the head. 4 second group of victims was then forced to cover the dead with another layer of loss on which they were made 10 lie. The second group vas then alAot. Thls went on untii thegn we're four to tlght iay-