HORRORS OF AUSTRIAN WAR PRISONS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2932, 18 November 1916, Page 9

HORRORS OF AUSTRIAN WAR PRISONS

A DREADFUL RECITAL iustralian-New Zealand Gable Association, (Rec. November 17, 5.50 p.m.) Pctrograd, November 16. Released prisoners tell startling stories of the horrors of the Austrian war prison regime. 'A lieutenant whose aeroplane fell into" the Austrian lines was compelled to march into "Wishenberg Camp, where the food' and • treatment were so terrible that when he was returned to Petrograd ho was semi-starved, and. in an advanced, stage of tuberculosis. An officer states "Unfortunate soldiers in the camp were starving. Their bread was composed of a mixture of maize, potatoes, acorns, and horse-chestnuts, mixed with chopped straw and bran. Many died from hunger and exhaustion. Tlicy wore treated most Brutal!}'. Hanging was quite an ordinary form of punishment. ■ "One's man's feet and hands were tied, and he 'was strung-.up to a pole for two hours, until he became - uneonscinus? Other prisoners were made to lie in., coffins at the . hottoms of vliieh wore sharp edges. . Tlio lid was wired down, the only opening being for the bead. A Russian who had refused to spy on his comrades was condemned to a 'coffin, hut no aperture was left for ventilation, and lie-was found dead in the morning. The camp was surrounded hv rows of barbed wire, bached b.y searchlights., police dogs, ; and many guards. • There were inany -attempts to escape, but most of the escapees were recaptured and transferred to the prison in Vienna.