MASSACRE AT LOUVAIN

Southland Times, Issue 17468, 24 March 1915, Page 2

MASSACRE AT LOUVAIN

EXHUMATION HORRORS. TWENTY BODIES IN A GRAVE. A Dutch newspaper staled some weeks ago that a number of civilians had been shot and buried In the middle of Louvain at the foot of the statue of Van dc Weyer. The Cologne Gazette immediately published an absolute denial, coming from the German authorities at Brussels. The Paris Temps now reproduces the account given by a correspondent of the Tyd, who, will) several professors, the acting burgomaster, the Judge destruction, and Colonel Lubbert, military commandant of Louvain, assisted at the exhumation of the bodies. The following Is an extract: "Luckily there was a good breeze that day, for the atmosphere given out by the open tomb was unbreathable. The objects found on the bodies were immediately slipped into a sack, and after an awful piece of work tho remains of 20 people were dug up. All from a bole not more than four yards •square. Infinite precautions had to be taken to bring up eacli corpse with its own limbs, so jammed were all the remains. "Professor Maldague, who had been among the unfortunate prisoners chosen in cold blood one after tho other to be massacred, and who escaped only by a miracle from his fate, could not master the deep emotion he fell. On that fatal day the human flock was forbidden to look on at the cruelties committed by the soldiers of cultured Germany, but a woman who happened to be by tbo side of Professor Maldague ventured nevertheless to look, and saw that the victims chosen for expiation were forced to lie face downward on tho pavement. They were then shot in the nape of the neck, the back, or the head. Most of the victims, therefore, had their skulls fractured not only by the bullets, but also by the butt ends of the rides; and, as if this were not sufficient, all the bodies found except two were stated in the medical reports to have been run through by bayonets." Tbo correspondent goes on to give a list of the names of the victims, ranging from a boy of 1G to many old people of 60. In stirring the ground around it second tomb was found with seven more bodies, buried only about a foot deep; and on the next day out of quite a little grave were taken the remains of a workman and of M. van Biadel, the venerable'priestofHeranETlyoara old. COURTS AND OFFENCES MASTERTON SUPREME SESSIONS. (Per United Press Association.) MASTERTON. Marcli 22. The half-yearly sessions of the • Supreme Court opened here to-day. There were no criminal cases and Mr Justice Stringer, who was presented with a pair of white gloves, congratulated the district upon its immunity from crime. •Sitting in divorce his Honour granted a decree nisi in a case in which ElizaMcCausland claimed dissolution of marriage with John McCausland. Tlte parties wore married in Lyttelton in 1906 and lived happily until respondent became over-attentive to a lady friend who was living with them, A compromising letter was found, and respondent and the lady friend soon afterwards disappeared. A SOLDIER AND MAINTENANCE. WELLINGTON, March 22. James William Simpson, a member of the Expeditionary Force, was remanded tn appear at Dunedin on a charge of failing to comply with a maintenance older. Simpson objected to a remand, saying that lie had sent sums of money direct to his wife. The police stated that Simpson enlisted under the name of Williams. They only ascertained liis real name when tho man was arrested for drunkenness. DYNAMITING FISH. AUCKLAND, Marcli 22. ' Tn a case in the Police Court which concluded this evening a fisherman was fined £lO and XC costs for using dynamite or other explosives for the purposes of catching fish. An exemplary penalty was asked 1 -■ for. it being slated that many complaints had been received about tin; prevalence of the practice, while convictions were hard to obtain. TIMA.RU SUPREME SESSIONS. TIM ABU, March 22. In (he Supreme Court Samuel Mitchell. master builder, was brought up for sentence on charges of stealing goods valued at £ll H>k and £l2 las. Prisoner's counsel said that his client had a good business and had acquired properly. He had made a remarkable collection of cutlery, which was never used but winch was rusting in a box. Tlie tliefls of it were stated to have extended over five years, Mr Justice Sim imposed a fine of £2.1 in each case. George James, who pleaded guilty to the theft of postal orders for £2O 10s, came up for sentence, but this was deferred as tbo depositions were not properly signed. A charge against Robert Guthrie, of stealing sheep from a neighbour named Maxwell (over which the jury disagreed last session) was commenced and is not completed. (: A UG II T 11 ED-11A NI; I ! 11. CHRISTCHURCH, Marcli 22. A resident named Hnliington, on returning to his bouse after a. two hours absence this morning, heard suspicious sounds, ami, hiding under the window, caught a man as lie descended. The man gave the name of diaries William Wood and had in Ids possession articles of clothing. Eater lie was arrested on a charge of burglary.