GERMAN ATROCITIES

North Otago Times, Volume C, Issue 13170, 7 October 1914, Page 6

GERMAN ATROCITIES

COLD-BLOODF.D MUJtIXrJBS. BWOBN STATEMENTS. , A tori'iblo story of the murder in cold, blood of Jive French'civilians by Gcr- | man soldiers at Lorraeh, on the FrancoGerman frontier,.on August J, before Germany had declared war on France, is told by an eye-witness, M. Gamlc-froy-Doiiionliynos, in a sworn statement to a Paris magistrate publishod by the Temps:— . M. Demonhyncs, who was attempting to return to Franco from Baden, found himself, detained with other 'Frenchmen and sonic Russians at the railway station at Lorraeh,' in Baden, a few miles from the French frontier. The party.were arrested by soldiers and taken to the police station, whore they and their luggage were searched. They were then led under guard through the town, amid hostile demonstrations by the inhabitants, to the square in front of the railway station, where they found another party of about thirty Frenchmen and twenty Russians. ;-;■■ Oit;! Shot Only. One of this party, a French commercial traveller, a stout man aged about forty, suddenly shouted "Vive la I'Vau'cc!"

Instantly the two soldiers guarding liim look liim before an officer standing a few paces away from a group of ofliccrii. People standing between M. Demonliyncs and the scene, pre vented,him from hearing what, iviia said, but a few seconds later a shot—only one shot—rang out. . '.''l don't know who llrcd," the witness says, "but 1 know that just before • the report the Frenchman was standing before my. eyes against the wall of a restaurant facing the station, held fast by his two guards in the position o| one who is about to be executed. "Hardly had the shot rung out than protests arose'from our little baud, Among those who'protested most vigorously were three young frenchmen from eighteen to twenty years old. They looked to me like students leaving tiermany like myself. 1 did not speak to lliciii, and do not know their names. •Must us tlio soldiers seized him and his comrades one of the young Frenchmen tried to speak to an ollicer who was wearing a large light grey cloak. This olliccr did not listen to liim. Koine order must have been given, f don't know by whom. "One of the three Frenchmen who must have been told of the fate awaitingjiim, cried out in Herman: "Don't hold us; we aren't afraid; we are Frenchmen!" '■

"This time the olliccr replied coarsely, half turning round: 'Shut.up!' The 1 three Frenchmen, of their own accord, placed themselves against the wall of the same, restaurant, "Two lines of soldiers were drawn up on either side of tliem at right an-' gles to the wall. Other soldiers-how many 1 did not count—took up their positions in trout of tliem, about eight yards away. A volley rang out. The three Frenchmen fell. Woman in Tears. "Fresh cries arose from our party. Honor-stricken women began to weep. 1 did not see the bodies removed, but I saw tliem fall to tlic. ground. "At this moment a great uproar broke out. Another Frenchman, :i big man with a great black beard, whose age and appearance 1 forgot, and wlioni I did not know, began to shout: 'Cowardsl M,iirdcrersl' "Soldiers surrounded him. He struggled with them. .They speedily overcame him, and without taking the trouble to stand him up against the wall, without the,intervention of any oilicer, one of the soldiers thrust- the barrel of liis.rille against his body ami shot him down point-blank before my eyes. ■ ■•■ ,•'.'! saw these same soldiers dragging; his body along' the ground. Tho* niiyi was struggling still. J hud not the strength' to look any more, T heard other shots. I don't know if there were any other victims," M, Deinonhyiios, who, with the remainder of the party, was eventually' allowed to proceed on-his journey, says that' two young men,:students returning to Lyons from Germany, told him they had seen German soldiers kill tWo Italians in the train ill which he was travelling and in which he heard t'hd sound of shots, ".; W . ■ -,'; One,ltalian was Bhot, they said, beciiiiso ho wanted the windows'shut and protested When Ms request was refused';'; tliflotlior-because ho repulsed a soldier who triedto sit (In.wnou hiin by wiiyof' ;r;jhl{o.'i.%y' : . ■■■„'■/';--.[-- : *'-■;'; ;;;.?•-.(.''