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Written by a Prussian O fficer>.
Who Participated in the Ravag
big and Pillaging o f Belgium
5
Copjngt/ by DrtroU t m h o i ...........
(C ontinued from Tuesday)
The distance between us ana tne re
treating French became greater. Our
soldiers became happier over the out
come of the battle and seemed to for
get their past hardships. The corpses
which filled the roads and ditches weie
forgotten amid the jokes and songs
on every aide. The men were already
accustomed to the horrors of war to
such an extent that they unconcerned
ly walked aver the corpses, not even
considering It necessary to make a
slight detour.
At noon we nalfed and were served
with dinner from the field kitchens.
Wa were surely hungry enough and
our canned soup was eaten with the
utmost relish. Many soldiers set their
dishes on the bodies of dead horses
lying about and ate as gayly as If
they were at home at their own tables.
The few human corpses near our camp
failed to disturb us. Only water was
lacking, and after the dinner our thirst
became very acife, even torturous.
We soon marched on, under a burn
ing mtd-d v sun, the dust of the high
way lying thick on our uniforms and
skin. Now, no more cheerfulness was
evident anywhere. Our thirst became
more unbearable and we grew weaker
from minute to minute. Many In our
ranks fell, unable to go further. Noth
ing remained for our commander ex
cept to halt, ag he did not wish to ex
haust us all. As a result of this halt
we were left considerably In the rear
and lost our place among those pursu
ing the French.
About four o’clock we finally saw
before us a village. In the certain ex-
pectation of getting water there we
quickened our pace. Fugitives and
empty munition columns passed us.
Among them th ere w as a farm wagon
upon which w ere several civilian p r's
oners, ap p aren tly frnne-tlreurs.
^
Catholic p riest w as am ong them. He,
like the others, had his hands tied he-
hind him with a rope. To o ur curious
questions us to what he had done, we
were told that he hud incited the
termers to poison the w ater In tn e
village.
Soon we reached th e village and at the
first well at which we might have sa tis
fied our th irst we found a sentinel
posted. He drove us aw ay w ith a
w arning th a t th e w ater w as poisoned.
D isappointed and te rrib ly em bit
tered, the soldiers cursed and gnashed
next wen, but everywhere sentinels
forbade our taking refreshment.
In an open space In the center of
the village was a big well from which
there came water clear as crystal that
emptied Into a big trough. Five sol
diers stood guard here to see that no
one drank. I was Just about to pro
ceed with my comrades when a large
part t»f my company threw themselves
like men possessed onto the well. The
guards were completely overcome and,
greedy as animals, all the men drank.
They quenched their thirst, but not
one became 111. The priest, as we
learned later, was punished because,
the officers said, the water in every
village had been poisoned, and we
were told that only by a happy chance
had the lives of our soldiers been
spared. The God of the Germans had
kept true guard. It appeared, but the
God of the Belgians was not there to
protect his.
In most of the places we passed we
were warned not to use the water.
This, of course, had the effect of mak
ing the soldiers bate the people from
whom they conld expect only death. In
this way the vicious Instincts of our
men ware aroused.
The water, of course, was nowhere
poisoned. These lies were told to
arouse hatred of the Belgians among
our soldiers.
In the evening, at dusk, we reached
a village east of the Bertrlx. There
we found poisoned water also. In the
middle of the village we halted and I
could see through a front window of a
bouse before which I stood. In a mis
erable home cf a laborer we saw a
woman. She clung to her children as
If afraid they would be torn away from
her. Suddenly a stone as large as a
fist was thrown through the window
Inrn th e room end a little girl was
w ounded on the right hand
In this village we w ere billeted In a
barn. W ith some com rades, I w ent to
th e village to buy food. We obtained
ham. bread anil v ine a t it farm house,
but th e people refused any paym ent
because they considered 11 « guests.
They only asked th a t we should not
h u rt them . We paid them neverthe
less for everything. In G erm an money.
T here, as everyw here else we went,
we found the population In mortal
te rro r of us. The people trem bled
w henever a G erm an soldier entered
th eir home.
iicu to r m is purpose. T h is h ap p en ea
most frequently w henever the guns
had to be tak en off a highw ay and
brought into a firing position.
Soon we arrived a t th e city of B er
trlx. We found m any houses a t the
right and left o f us burning brightly.
They had been set afire, we learned,
because persons In them had fired on
passing soldiers. In fro n t of one of
these houses w as a half-burned m an
and woman w ith th e ir fifteen o r six
teen-year-old son. All w ere covered
w ith straw . A little w ay fa rth e r on,
th ree m ore civilians w ere lying dead
In th e sam e street.
As we w ere m arching we suddenly
received an o rd er to su rrb u n d a certain
house a t th e left o f us. O ur cap ta in
declared th a t a shot fired from th a t
house had killed a soldier. None of
us had heard anything, how ever. T he
house from which the shot w as alleged
to have been fired w as soon su rro u n d
ed and hand grenades throw n Into It
through th e windows. In a m inute all
th e room s w ere aflame. T h e a ir prea-
■ure from th e exploding grenades waa
so g re a t th a t doors In th e house flew
from th e ir hinges and th e w alls of sev
eral room s w ere crushed.
F o u r of us had form ed a close
friendship. We had prom ised to keep
to g eth er and help one an o th e r in
every danger. So we often visited the
homes of citizens together and did our
best to q uiet th e harassed people we
m et and talk them o u t of fear of our
forces. W ithout exception we found
th ese people friendly and quick to feel
confidence In ns when they learned
th a t we really w ere th e ir friends. If
we w rote on th e ir doors w ith chalk,
“H ere live good, honest people, please
sp are them ,” th eir g ra titu d e knew no
bounds. If so much had blood existed
and If so many things which led to the
m ilitary execution of Innum erable Bel
gians, it w as because of th e m istru st
system atically nourished on th e p art
of th e G erm an officers.
T h a t night we m arched on a fte r be
ing Joined by a 21-centim eter m o rtar
b a tte ry of th e foot artille ry regim ent
No. 0 recently arrived. Not only were
we to act a* an au x iliary for th is bat
tery, but we w ere also expected to help
T M r Ts
bring these Immense cannon Into ac
tion. These guns were In two sections,
sech transported on a wagon pulled
by six horaes. These horses, th e only
ones used by foot artillery, a re aup-
poaed to bo the finest and most power
ful la the German army.
Tat these animals wars seldom up
to expectations, an that It was a com-
BMa thing ta detail from TO to BO mea
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Several soldiers npw arrived with
barrels of wine and also many bottles,
which were Instantly opened and emp
tied. The obvious resulted, and soon
: many noncommissioned officers and
men were helplessly drunk. The owner
of our barn had possessed three large
hogs. Ona of the drunken noncom
missioned officers tried to kill one of
Almost at the same time five civil these hogs with a dull pocket knife.
ians ran Into the streets with raised He had tortured the poor beast almost
hands. They were seised at once and to death when the animal was merci
led before the officers, who constituted fully killed by a bullet. A few min
themselves Immediately Into a court- utes afterward the officer went to
■aM kL T m aalaatee later sentence sleep. This was only an example and
had bees executed, and five men lay not the worst, for the Inhabitants of
on the ground with eyes bandaged, the town had to endure much from
riddled with bullets.
our men who had become drunk. There
Ia each case six of our men were were open and secret robberies of
always called upon ta ’execute one gardens, stables and houses hers and
man's sentence. I am sorry to say no restrictions whatever were put on
that I waa one of the thirty celled the soldiers. There was no improve
upon at this occasion. The condemned ment In their general conduct, despita
man who It was our duty to shoot waa many complaints. One family report
about forty yaers eld, tall mad straight ed that the French had treated them
He never blinked as the bsndage wea very well, but that our highly trained
put on. He waa led to the garden of soldiers plundered and etole. It was
the house near by and bla back placed therefore not surprising that the pop
to the house. After our captain said ulation suffered want and hunger. I
to ua that It was our duty to aim true often shared my bread with these suf
ana ena tne tragedy quicaiy. we toon fering people. With two comrades,
our positions six paces In front of the one'day, I gave my portion of meat,
condemned men. The sergeant com vegetables and preserves and also a
manding ua previously gave us Instruc bag of onions to a woman with eight
tions that we were to shoot the con children. Because the Iron was miss
demned men through the breast.
\
ing In our blood, we three were sen
Now we formed into two rows, one tenced to extra watch duty for a week
behind the other. The order sounded for the offense of displaying a love of
to load and aim and we each put five humanity.
Our leader. Lieutenant of Reserve
Elm, declared th a t such a thing as pity
was Insanity. He said if the woman
had eight children that was her busi
ness. Then he concluded by saying
with great emphasis: “In war every
body looks out for themselves, even
If everything around him perishes.”
J
Q m .
CHAPTER III.
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!
.♦c-ix- u>
i uie m use no nuU esscupcu
when the French arm y re tre a te d and
were returning now to find th eir
homes destroyed by the rough hand of
war.
A fter a long m arch, in terru p ted only
hy halts and sh o rt bivouacs, we ap
proached the large B elgian-French bor-
d er town of Bugay, located on th e B el
gian side of th e border. It w as about
noon, and a s the th u n d er of cannon
constantly grew stronger, which Indi
cated th a t a new b a ttle w as develop
ing, we hoped to he able to rem ain In
the town overnight. About one o’clock
we entered and w ere billeted in a big
bam . Most of th e soldiers refused to
e a t from the field kitchens, and requi
sitioned eggs, chickens, geese and
young pigs.
Soon everybody w as
cooking. I am sorry to say th a t moat
of those who foraged had refused to
pay fo r w hat they had taken.
Riddled With Bulleta
cartrid g es into o u r rifles. "P rep are to
fire”—th e men In th e first row knelt
down and th e second row took th eir
places. O ur guns w ere now held so
th a t th e b a rre ls w ere forw ard and
th e b u tts w ere hip high. “Aim”—and
slowly we aim ed, holding our guns
tightly w ith th e b u tts ag a in st our
shoulders and o u r fingers on the trig
gers.
T he serg ean t paused a h a lf m inute
and then ordered us to fire. I do not
know to th is day w h eth er o u r victim
died a t once, nor waa th e re ever an
o p portunity to learn how many of the
six b u llets found th e ir m ark. All day
I w ent around like a m an In a trance,
reproaching m yself b itte rly fo r having
acted th e p a rt of exeouttnner. F o r a
long tim e I could not b e a r to speak
about It to my comrades, fo r I felt
guilty, and y et w hat could we soldiers
do o th er th an execute th e orders given
usT
In the evening we w ent 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 T illag e s through which we
ptaeed had ail beau abandoned, and
tile poor looking houses mostly do-
etroyed.
Doug tralas of fugitives
A nother soldier w as sentenced to
serve 14 dnys a t hard labor. H e w as
bringing bread to a hungry fam ily and
had six sm all loaves In his arm s, which
he had gathered from am ong the sol
diers. T he sam e lieu ten an t m et him.
accom panied by several noncomm is
sioned officers. To the question as to
where he w as going, he replied th a t he
was on his way to assist a poor fam ily
which had actually suffered hunger.
The lieutenant a t once ordered him to
return the bread to Ills company. Then
he raged and raged a t the soldier, call
ing him fool, Idiot, H ottentot, etc. But
the aoldler nevertheless did not obey
and when the lieutenant thundered a
second command to halt, th e soldier
turned around and threw th e bread
before the lieu ten an t’s feet. T hen he
said quietly. “I do not wish anybody
any harm , but If you and your au to
cratic fam ily, und the whole G erm an
nation had to endure w hat the poor
Belgians a re obliged to suffer, It would
be a b itte r but Just lesson.”
T his man was sentenced to serve 14
days for talking back to his superior
officer. It surprised us all th a t he was
let off so easily.
B ut bittern ess In the ran k s grew,
and a t last the many hard punishm ents
th at w ere pronounced created so much
feeling th a t the soldiers refused to tie
any of th e ir com rades.
We left Sugny the next m orning and
one hour la te r crossed the Franco-Bel-
glan border. H ere again we w ere o r
dered to give th ree cheers a s we did
when o u r troops first crossed G erm any
Into Belgium. At noon we arrived at
Vlvler-Au-Oourt. We rem ained In the
village until evening and w ere per
mitted to go about w ithout re s tric
tion*. In the afternoon nine men of
my company w ere arrested for assault
Tow ard evening we m arched off and
brought th e how itzers to u new posi
tion. front w here the enem y’s defenses
on the Meuse could be houdmrded.
A fter a sh o rt m arch we encountered
aud fought a French arm y northeast
of Donchery. Only th e enem y's rear
guard w as on our side of the Meuse
To It was given the duty of covering
th e grossing of the m ain body o f the
French arm ies over the Meuse, which
was done n ear D onchery.
T he few bridges !“ft stan d in g were
not sufficient for th e enem y to cross
as sjteedlly as he should have. As a
result th ere developed In D onchery a
terrible fight. T he French m ade an
enorm ous effort. T h ere w as a terrible
slaughter as man tough* ag ain st man
It w as one of the most fearfu l battles
I have ever w itnessed. No one knew
afterw ards how many he had killed.
Som etim es stro n g e r men, then weaker
ones attacked. T he glare from burn
ing houses tu rn ed Into red th e white*
of the fighters' eyes and revealed men
b attlin g one an o th er fro th in g at the
mouth.
W ithout any headgear, unkem pt
hair, uniform s open o r m ostly torn.
It wa* bayonettlng, hitting, scratch in g
and plunging like wild b easts fo r Ilf*
o r (Jeath. E verybody fought fo r hie
life. T h ere w as no q u a rte r. O nly
m oaning and gasping could be heard.
Each man thought only of his own
life, of death or his home. Old memo
ries raced through the mind, pursuing
ons another feverishly and yet men
grew wilder, for they now battled a
new enemy—exhaustion.
But there could not yet be any let
up. Again and again there !e nothing
to do but strike, stab. bit*, fighting
without guns or other weapons except
those provided by nature for life or
death.
The exertion becomes more ta p e r
human. Tou bite and you are a victor.
But victor only for a second, for the
next antagonist Is already upon you.
He haa Just killed on* of your com
rades. Tou suddenly remember that
you still bav* a dagger. After a hasty
search you find It In Its regular place.
One. two, three and It links to the hilt
In the breast of your enemy. On, on.
where there are new enemies. Tou
suddenly see your next antagonist be
fore you. He Is after your lift. He
bites, stabs, scratches, to get you down,
to pierce your heart with hla dagger
and again yap use yours. Thank God,
he lies on the ground; you are saved.
But 8top;*you must havs that dagger
back. Tou pull it from the breast of
your 1st* enemy. A stream of warm
blood shoots from the open wound In
your face. Human blood, warm hu
man blood. You shudder, terrified
only for a few seconds, for there Is
an o th er adversary. It Is again neces
sary for you to defend yourself. Again
and again the m urder commences
anew. Always, and always again,
through the whole night.
At lest, tow ard fo u r o'clock In tha
m orning, the F rench retire d across the
M euse w ith th e G erm ans storm ing
a fte r them . W hen th e bridge w as full
of G erm an soldiers. It w as blown up by
the French aud hundreds of Germans
found th e ir d eath In the Meuse.
'
C H A P T ER IV.
The scene of the slaughter could
now he surveyed at leisure. Dead and
wounded were strewn all around, and
over them clouds of smoke and flame*
made tha, sir fhlckt But we were al
ready too hardened to feel much pity.
Humanity was thrown to the winds
and the cries nnd begging of the
, wounded left everybody cold.
Home Catholic sisters lay dead tn
front of their convent. The only build
ing that was spared in Donchery was
the armory of the Twenty-third French
dragoons.
T h ere was not much time In which
to do anything, for at seven o’clock
th e F rench began to hurl sheila Into
the village. W e fortified ourselves be
hind a thick garden wall directly in
front of the Meuse. The river bank
a t this point w as flat, h a t on the oppo
site side It wa* steep. Here the French
Infantry had dug Itself In and estab
lished three lines, one above the other.
The artillery firing was too far. Wa
did not come within Its range, so that
we were able to observe the effect of
the shelling of our own artillery oa the
ing a woman but were soon released. enemy infantry positions before ns.
At this time there waa a great scar The 21-centimeter shells raced by
city of tobacco among onr soldiers and above our heads and burst with a fear
I knew that a mark or more was paid ful noise In the enemy’s trenches.
The French could not resist this hall
for a cigarette whenever one. was of
fered for sale. Here. In Vlvler-Au* of shot very long. They soon aban
Court there waa but on* government doned all the heights on the river
tobacco atall. I have aeen • ow aien bank. They abandoned Soudan with
were forced by noncommlaaloned offi out a fight and It waa left Intact which
cer* at the point of p i > to give up had aot been the eaa* with Donchery.
toetr entire supply of tobacco for Hardlv a house had suffered.
wirtoMaa requisition papers. Thee*
(The next Installment will appear
“gentlemen” later eoM their tobacco
at heU a mark far small paaketa.
KINGS VALLEY
Mr. M urphy killed u black hem*
in the valley Monday.
Mrs. 1). K. Moore arrived in tho
\alley Tuesday evening to visit
with friends
Mr. and Mrs. H erm an Ayers w ent
to Salem S aturday evening by
ant'o.
Mrs. Ann Dunn is visiting w ith
her son and fam ily, T. .1. Allen.
Andy Ayers returned home S atu r
day from P ortland w here he h a s
been the past week. His grandson
from Oregon City accom panied him
home.
Mrs. H. C. H arter and Mrs. H arry
Sullivan visited w ith Mrs. Della
Miller Sunday.
1 here will he a C hildren’s Day
program at the church S unday,
June 9.
Mr. and Mrs. M arlin C hristianson
visited S unday w ith her parents,
Mr. and Mrs. Maxfleld.
Mrs. Fred YVoodsido and Mrs. H er
m an Ayers w ent to Independence
Monday.
I lie Red Cross of D allas gave a
show at the Odd F ellow s flail S at
urday evening and the Airlie Red
Cross sold a quilt and ice cream.
Horn, to Mr. and Mrs. Ju lian
T horn a daughter, Ju n e 1.
Mr. and Mrs. David Ayers visited
at the home of Andy Ayers Monday
m orqing.
.Mrs. D. E. Moore visited S atu rd a y
w ith Mrs. Fred Woodside.
The Christenson fam ily were Sa
lem visitors Saturday.
Jack Sm ith visited M onday after
noon w ith F. V. Miller.
Mr. and Mrs. Hud Alchorn of Cor
vallis were valley visitors T h u rs
day.
WIGRICH ITEMS
Mrs. Ralph Porterfield and fam ily
spent Decoration Day with her p ar
ents, Mr. nnd Mrs. H artm an, n e a r
independence.
Mr. and Mrs. D. A. H art and fam i
ly of Newherg were visiting at tho
home of Mr. and Mis. F. !,. C.hown
on Decoration Day.
Mr. and Mrs. \ \ ’. E. Hcvcns were
week end visitors with his brother
and wife, Mr. and Mrs. YV. R. B«>v-
ens in Portland.
Mr. and Mrs. YVulter P lan t aro
sailing around these days in a new
Ford.
Mr. and Mrs. Ala* P orter moved
the first of (lie week to Huenn Visln.
Jesse Tumi, late of Salem , and
Janies Taiin of G rants Pass visited
tliir parents, Mr. nnd Mrs. Jess T an n
and th eir sister, Mrs. George De-
Forest on Sunday.
Mr. and Mrs. YVill Robert accom
panied by Mr. and Mrs. McComas
and YV ill Rooney are spending sev
eral days sight seeing in P ortland.
Mr. and 'M rs. Ralph Porterfield
and fam ily w ere Sunday guests a t
the hqpie of Mr. aud Mrs. F ra n k
Turner.
No m ore week-end rates, so bo
good and stay a t home. This will
he ra th e r tough on you who have
Hu* city habit, hut after you get out
of it, just think how you are getting
even w ith P o rtland by saving this
periodical car fare und keeping your
money at home. 'P u t this car fare
into th rift slainps.-Henton County
Courier.
TWICE A WEEK
Post-31.50
OHLY ONE IN COUNTY