CITIZENS OF LOUVAIN BUTCHERED

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2243, 1 September 1914, Page 5

CITIZENS OF LOUVAIN BUTCHERED

• GERMAN REIGN OF TERROR TEN MEN AND WOMEN KILLED FOR "EVERY SOLDIER SHOT ' • ' - —. - ', \ (Roc. August 31, 9.15 p.m.) , ■ London, August 31, morning. A correspondent of tho "Nieuwe Courant," a Rotterdam newspaper, says lie witnessed tho outrages at Louvain. _He accompanied, ..a. Gorman officor through tlie .town, arid declared that while the comniandor and his staff, and many of the military Wore awaiting tho food and ammunition train which was just arriving at the station, Rhots rang out from the houses in the vicinity. Tho shooting was immediately taken up in the houses throughout the town, and from windows of an hotel opposite the station a machine gun opened fire. It was impossible to know which of the civilians participated in the shooting, and from which houses they fired. Therefore, the soldiers entered all the houses, and the most terriblo things followed. Every oivilian found with weapons, or suspeoted of firing, was'hilled immediately. Tho innocent suffered with the guilty, for old men, sick people, and women, were shot. Shells were fired at many of the buildings, and petrol was poured over others, and lights applied. ' Under a strong escort two groups or men and women, each a hundred strongi were placed in rows near the station, and whenever a soldier was shot in the town ten of these pitiful civilian# were slaughtered. No mercy was shown, and tears and pleadings were in vain.- Next inonling tho boulevards lYore strewn with corpses, including those of priests. Some of the inhabitants were driven on the roof of a burning building, where they perished. Fifty who were taking refuge at the station were accused of shooting. They protested thwr innocence, but all were shot. A Dutchman, who had previously esoaped by pretending he was a German, believes the first firing' was not by civilians. MORE GERMAN TROOPS .RETURNING EAST. . v Antwerp, August 29. It is officially stated that numerous trains conveyed German troops from the Oourtrai district of Belgium, near Lille, in an easterly, direction. The Tetreating movement is greatly on the increase. The enemy have abandoned the region of Belgium northward of the Malines-Aerschot line, and as the province of Antwerp and part of Limburg has been cleared, the situation warrants more confidence.

HOW THE NAMUR FOETS WERE SILENCED. ■ London, Aiigiißt 29. The Press Bureau publisließf ae reliable, the aooount of a Belgian officer, Lieutenant Deppe, who lins arrived in London. . '' . ! When Lieutenant Deppe left. Namur on Sunday, the Germane 11.2-moli howitzers had knocked to pieces "the tliree advanced at intervals, mid bombarded the town, which was defended'by the Fourth Belgian Division. . ' - Namur was completely evacuated 021 Sunday, as tine defenders were unable to withstand the heavy artillery firo. • . The Germans attacked, in a threp-ranks formation, the front rank lying down, the second kneeling,, and the third standing,. &nd afrording :a splendid target for the machine guns. V V " , . Thirty batteries of howitzers were simultaneously concentrated on each fort to smother them. '• ' Dr. von Sandt has been appointed Civil Governor of Belgium at Liege. /. ; ...... .