[12]
They did not even spare grandmothers (Louppy-le-Chateau,
Vitry-en-Perthois ...).
Nor did they respect children.... At Cirey, a witness (a University
professor), whose statements one of us took down a few days after the
tragedy, cried to a Bavarian officer, "Have you no children in Germany?"
All the officer said in reply was, "My mother never bore swine like
you."
Now and then they let themselves loose on a whole family; at Louppy, the
mother and her two young girls aged thirteen and eight, respectively,
were simultaneous victims of their savagery.
The outrages sometimes lasted till death. At Nimy, the martyrdom of
little Irma G. lasted six hours till death delivered her from her
sufferings. When her father tried to rescue her he was shot, and her
mother was seriously wounded. Indeed, it was certain destruction to any
frenzied parent who tried to defend his child. A clergyman of Dixmude
says, "The burgomaster of Handzaeme was shot for trying to protect his
daughter." And how many other cases have occurred! We have not the heart
to continue the list.
FOOTNOTES:
[12] See the report of the French Commission (vol. i., page 35). See
also, in the "Reply to the White Book," p. 500, the moving letter of
Cardinal Mercier to von Bissing: "My conscience forbids my divulging to
any tribunal the information, alas, only too well substantiated, which I
possess. Outrages on nuns have been committed ..."
KILLING THE WOUNDED
There are _great numbers_ of wounded who, on their solemn oath, have
related how, when lying on the field of battle, they saw their wounded
comrades "finished off" by rifle or revolver shots, or by blows from
butt-ends, or by bayonet stabs, or kicked to death by German soldiers,
non-commissioned officers, and even by officers.
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