MY TREATMENT IN GERMANY

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2632, 30 November 1915, Page 4

MY TREATMENT IN GERMANY

MORE PRISONERS* STORIES

IN THE DEPTHS

(By l'\ A. M'Konzie.)

. !'.• A- M'Kenzie' has been interviewing- returned British prisoners and publishing their stories in the "Daily Mail." Hero is 0110 of, the latest.]

On August 23, 1914, shortly after the outbreak of the war, soiiie Grimsby fishing boats were sailing about seventy miles ironi Whitby when a llotilla of twelve torpedo-bates and two cruisers swooped down 011 them. German naval officers placed timo bombs by the seacocks of the 6macks, gave the crows half a minute to scramble overboard, and then steamed quickly off, w'th the fishermen prisoners on board. They had only put a short distance between themselves and the English boats when' the latter blew up. The Gbrmans captured in this raid 161 fishermen. The English prisoners were told that they were really mine-layers and would be treated as such. I'liey twelve torpedo-boats nid two cruisers and two days lator were landed at) Wilhelmshaven. One of the prisoners Has a young ship's steward named liiggins. Higgins is now back in England, blind as t-lie result of his treatment at Sennelager. As I sat witii him in his homo at Grimsby, listening to bis plain, sailor-like account of his experiences, l is story would have seemed incredible had not tho man with his big, open, sightless eyes been .sitting in front of ite. He is a young', broad-chested follow, and was in his old days, before Ihe Germans took liim, a good atiilete. His wife was busy in tho room, soothing tho baby in her arms, his ctiild whom lie had never seen. , \ "When we lauded at Wilhelmshaven thousands of people were waging to receive us," said tne sailor. "Thev wore shouting, yelling; cursing. One of. us prisoners was a German and lie told us what they were saying, 'Mine-layers I Kill them! We want their blood for the Kaiser! John Bull's pig-dogs!' There was an anued guard of 170 men which surrounded us and marched us to tho Naval Prison. Thero we ware placed in cells, three men to a cell. One man lay on the bed and two cn the floor. Wo were soon sent to Emden and two days later were passed on to Mimclager. This eighteen hours' journey was made in bullock trucks which were littered with filth, just as the animals cmiio out of them. We stopped at Essen and one or two other placed, and whwever wo stopped tho crowds gathered to' curse us. By this time tho name 'Schwoinhund,' 'pig-dog,' had grown quits familiar. "It was September 3 when wo arrived at Sennelager. A number of British prisoners from. Mons were coming in just then, and there were 18,000 Ererchmen from Maubeuge. W r e noticed how' the English wounded were neglected. Many of them wero left for eight, nine, and ten days without any medical treatment. "We fishermen were marched into a I field, and next day we were led. up one bv one and, placed on a box in tlie open. Then half our hair was shaved oft'. Those who had moustaches and beards had half theni shaved also. We wero to be treated as criminals. This was not dope to the soldier prisoners. 'To-day we have branded you. To-morrow you will ,be] shot,' some of the German •RuargSs told, lUSji'jihon ■ who could// English. "Tiiey only said "this to' try us.' 1 A number of other, Germans stood around laughing and jeering. Then'they led us to another field, where wo were herded in, without food and . without shelter. "We were stripped and searched. Our clothes and boots were taken .away and we were given Jjlue canvas suits, wooden clogs, .and. little rouiid hatsconvict dress. I afterwards saw Ger-

man soldiers wearing our good boots. "It was. September 4 when wo wero marched into the field. We remained there until September 7, without a bite to eat. We fishermen aro accustomed to good, substantial fare, and we felt it. On the morning of the 7th we were marched down tho road to where there were some big soup kitchens. When we got there wb wero told that there was

no soup left. Tho Frenchmen had been served first. W r e were last, so' wo had to march back again empty. That niglit some bread was served out to us, one loaf- between each three men.

"Wo remained in tlio open for fourteen days. It rained the whole time except tho last two nights, when there was a sharp frost., If we. ventured even

to jump up in the night to beat our arms in order to warm ourselves tho soldiers were on us with their bayonetsi

"Then we were given some shelter, an.old circus tent, full.of holes, and some straw to lie on. One night wo were suddenly-cleared out of our tent nnd marched into a tin tabernacle and given beds to lie on. Word went round that tho American Ambassador was coming to visit us. He ca'mo on Sunday morning and saw us in our new quarters. On Sunday evening we were marched back to tho field again. ■ "Tho long oxposure.' the very bad food and the poor clothing brought on inflammation of my eyes. I was in the most intense pain. I went to the German doctor of tho. camp. 'Get out I .Get out!' ho ordered. My'pain got worße. 'there Was an English prisoner there, an interpreter. He told me, 'The doctor can't do anything for you. Hs says you're not to bother him any more.' And so I lost my sight. "We were moved toibig wooden huts 20ft. wide, about 120 ft. long, and Bft! high in the middle, sloping down on either side. They were very badly constructed, with great gaps on either side jn the wood. There were over 300 men in each hut. We lay in three rows, packed liko herrings in a bos. There was very little opportunity... of washiii" one tub and tap for hundreds of men. No hard soap was issued. The vermin were the torment of our life. The sanitary arrangements were so bad that in the spring an epidemic of enteric broke out. I am a sailor. I havo been to China and to tho Fiji Islands. I tell you the Chinese and the Fiji Islandors are civilised, kindly people compared with the Germans.

"The punisliments were Brutal. One man was tied as tightly as possible to a tree for eighteen hours, "two men tugging at the ropes that fastened him before they were secured. When lie was released ho just tumbled to the ground. Captain Blackmore, of the Zenobia, was going down with a party for food ono day. He is big and suffers with gout, and hobbled a bit behind. The sentrysot his dog at him and tho dog bit him badly in the calf of the leg. The captain complained and was sentenced to bo tied up for two hours morning and afternoon for three days and to lose liis soup! A fresh punishment was invented later, slinging two big bags' of bricks over a maij's shoulders and making him run up and down.

"A number of men died under tho hardships. Three Boston fishermen —■ George Christian. Baker, and Harry Jlarsden—died. They called their complaints different names. They were really exposure and nerdect.

' The epidemic of enteric was the start of my release. Two Kmrlish prison doctors came 1.0 the camp—Dr. Winter ami Captain Eagan. Thev saw me being led about by -.ny mates, and ;:.sl;pd what was the matter. They promised to sec what could be done.

"Sahib riityg lutsr a.. liearH of r-isht dootoi'6 58-t .to eiamiae rue, 1 couldi't

sec what tliey did, but the orderly told me they tested .me with all kinds of lights* 'I liey put drops in my eyes. Oil Monday I was sent to Paderborn, to the St. \ inccnt Hosipital there. A specialist gave me iourteau days' treatment. On the last day he. said, 'He's no good,' and then he did no more. Afterwards I was put down on the list of prisoners to he andvthey aent me hack to JijiiglflwL"