WITH THE ENEMY.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15751, 18 November 1916, Page 9

WITH THE ENEMY.

HORRIBLE BRUTALITY. AUSTRIAN'S ABUSE RUSSIAN PRISONERS. (By Cable.—Press Association.—Copyright.) (Australian and "N.Z. Cable Association.) (Received November 17th, 5.5 p.m.) PETROGRAD, November 16. R-cleased prisoners tell startling stories of tho horrors of the Austrian war prison regime. A lieutenant whoso aeroplane fell into tho Austrian Hdcs was compelled to march to the Wishenberg Camp, where the food and treatment given him were so terrible that the lieutenant returned to Petrograd in a semi-starved state, and in an advanced stage of tuberculosis.

The officer states that the unfortunate soldiers in the eamp are starving. Tho bread given them is composed of a mixture of maize, potatoes, acorns and horse-chestnuts, mixed with chopped straw and bran. Many men had died of hunger and exhaustion. They were treated most brutally. Tho hanging up of a man was quite an ordinary punishment. The man's feet, and hands wonlil he tied. and then he would be strung up to a pole for two hours until he was unconscious. Other prisoners were made to lie in a coffin, the bottom of which consisted of sharp edges. The lid "'as then wired down, leaving only au opening for the man's head. A Russian who refused to spy upon his comrades was condemned to the coffin, inn- no ajwrture was left for ventilation, and he was found dead in the morning. The camp wa s surrounded by rows of barbed wire, hackcd by searchlights, police, dogs, and many guards. There were many attempts made at escape, but the men were niostb recaptured and transferred to prison in Vienna.