AUSTRIAN ATROCITIES

Colonist, Volume LVII, Issue 13999, 1 February 1916, Page 5

AUSTRIAN ATROCITIES

PRISONERS SHOT FOR REFUSING

TO WORK

RUSSIAN CORPORAL CRUCIFIED

Petrograd, Jan. 30

The Headquarters Staff has issued the evidence of six Russian prisoners who/escaped from Austria. They witnessed the execution of four comrades for refusing to work in the defences. Five hundred prisoners participated in the refusal, aifd four were selected for execution. Austrian cadets carried out

+,he sentence

An Austrian deserter confirms the statement and adds that his regiment was sent to Breenerbad to force prisoners to work, and when they persisted in refusing, 20 *were tied to treeis.in a brutal manner. Some implored their torturers to shoof them. :After two hours all were unconscious; from syncope, and a non-commissioned'officer was literally crucified. The remaining prisoners still refused, and five were ordered to be tshot in the presence of their comrades. So many cadets volunteered for the.execution that each victim was shot by a separate, batch.