BRITISH PRISONER SHOT

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 245, 4 July 1918, Page 6

BRITISH PRISONER SHOT

FOR REFUSING TO GET COFFEE. A British prisoner of war in Germany has been shot by his guard for refusing to fetch coffee from the camp to the bath-house. Mrs. Barry, of 27 Bousneld Street, Kirkdnle, Liverpool, has received • news of the death of her son, Privato Joseph Barry, Scots Guards, who had been a prisoner, in Germany for three and a half years. The German commander at, Seunelager wrote that ho had died from internal hemorrhage. Enclosed was a photograph of his grave, draped with red, white and blue streamers. But a lette.r from an Australian soldier who has returned to England from tlie same camp puts h very different complexion on tho matter. Ho writes: "At about 5 a.m. in the morning (January 18) after Joe left camp for the bathhouse, one of tho guards asked him to fetch coffee from the camp to the bathhouse, and Joe replied that the English did not drink coffee, as there were RusFrench, and Belgians present at the time, together with sonic Englishmen, and they drank it. What lie meant was that some of them should go lor it. "The guard went outaido for a couple of minutes, and told tho crowd to scatter, leaving Joe standing. He then put tho rifle to his shoulder, took aim, and shot Joe, who lived for four or five minutes afterwards. "When I left. Germany the gunrd who shot Joe was up for trial. I know for certain that a. priest read the Vjirial service over Joe, and I attended the funeral."