THE SERVIAN CAMPAIGN.

West Coast Times, 7 February 1916, Page 2

THE SERVIAN CAMPAIGN.

UIT.O AII I A N -VIWH TTIES

MASSACRE OF KERR lAN PRISONERS.

BLINDFOLDED -VX'D CFT TO

PIECES.

SOLDIERiS ALSO HIT! IED ALIVh

(Received, 0.20 p.m., Feb. Oth.)

LONDON, February I

Mr. Ward Price relates a ghastly story, based on an eye-witness’s account of tho Bulgurs’ massacre of Serbian prisoners at Prilep,

The Bulgurs dug a huge grave and In-ought out ROD prisoners, some of whom were boys and the others greybeards.

The prisoners had no idea ol their fate until they reached the graveside. Here they were baited for an hour, until eighty Bulgarian cavalrymen were brought up.

Tlu> captain, speaking Serbian, ordered each Serbian to bind the eyes of bis neighbour. It was a pitiable scene, the youths weeping and imploring for pity and tb» older men shouting defiance. AVben the Serbians were blindfolded with straps torn from the waisteloths. the captain shouted to the prisoners “Now crouch down.”

The Serbians obeyed the order. “Start work - ’ cried the captain, and the Bulgarian infantry formed a largo cordon. °The cavalry cantering rode in among the kneeling throng and with yells of cruel delight, slashed amt thrust mercilessly. The Serbians tried to seize the dripping sabres ,and now an arm and now a lee was slashed off. Other Serbians tore off tile bandages and seized the legs of their nuuderers, attempting to unhorse them. Others dashed at the cordon of infantry but, these saw red, and ran to meet' the Serbians, plunging in their bayonets, whilst crying gleefully; “W* are doing this for charity; to spare you from dying of hunger.”

After half an hour the captain ordered the infantry to thrust the Serbians into the grave and shovel on tue earth, regardless whether the prisoners were living or dead. Mr. Ward Price grimly adds: “It it time our Foreign Office realised that the Bulgarians have not reached tho normal standard of morality of western Europeans.