MURDERERS AND LIARS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 33, 2 November 1918, Page 9

MURDERERS AND LIARS

FATE OF AN IRISH SOLDIER LIGHT ON A GERMAN CRIME It docs not need much perspicacity to irrivo at tho conclusion that the title ot ;his article refers to the Huns. German :rimes are of such everyday occurrence hat their lesser brutalities are apt to >a passed over without comment, -they .vould take too long and too much good weath to enumerate. But for sneer inllousness the liorrihle murder of Pn,'ate J. Sullivan, of tho Ist Irish Guards, vill always .be remembered as ovidenciiig .he bestiality of the German nature. •Sullivan, who was taken prisoner at Fpres during the early part of the war, ivns transferred in June, 1915, to the ;amp at Merseburg, and was, in company ,1-ith other prisoner, employed at work )n the Hackpfuffel Instate. His death on luly 28 was duly reported in the official list by the Gorman Government, who ;ave no cause far his demise. Ihia ivould be taken to indicate that ho had lied a natural death. However, en August i there appeared in a German paper, '-'Lubecker Volksbote, a report hat two British-prisoners of war intern, ■d at Hackpfuft'el, near Sangerhauson, had attacked tho sentry with spades, snil that tlie latter had warded off one man by a blow with tho butt of his rifle and shot the other down. Noting this paragraph, the British Foreign Office, through the American Embassy, demanded a full explanation from tlie German Government, and here is the official Hun reply. "On July 28 last, at about 5.30 a.m., the German juard ordered seven Englishmen from the jamp at Merseburg, who were employed on the Hackpfuffel Estate, to go to work. The Englishmen were unwilling to gc before 6 o'clock, but after being told three or four times all went except John Sullivan, who at last attacked the guard, trying to eiiatch his weapon from him. I'ho guard, forced by necessity, fired on Sullivan. The bullet passed through Ins right breast and severed an artery, and lie died on the spot." No mention ot spades is made here; nothing is said ibout tho second British soldier who, the German newspaper alleged, also attacked tho sentry and was knocked down for his pains. The story of the: Lubecker Volksbote" and the German official explanation do not tally. But it matters little, for both were ' liesclumsy attempts to. conceal an atrocious murder. The truth has now been given us by two repatriated British n.c.o.'s, fellowprisoners of war with Sullivan. To avoid any exaggeration or distortion of die facts, these witnesses, were both sworn, and their statements taken down most carefully on oath. Here, in the principal witness's own words, are the revolting details of (lie crime, and of the hearties; manner in which German civilians mocked at the funeral:— "I was a prisoner of war in Mersemirg Gefangenenlager iu the Magdeburg (Jth iVrmy Corps) Command from October IS), ioU. On July 17 we were sent from our laser to a farm. We wen told by tho captain of our company before leaving the , lager that we should only be employed on very light work from G a.m. to li p.m. On the first morning we were roused at 4 a.m. and marched to a cornfield, where we. worked until li p.m. when we marched back lc the farm in iin exhausted condition. I Ins went on every day until July 28, when, being roused from our beds.at i a.m., we informed the German sentry that as the captain of the company had told us thai the work would bo from 6 a.m., we should not commence any earlier. . . . 'Hie sentry and another soldier lixed their, bayonets. . '. . The senior sentry in charge then struck me a brutal blow in the face, so the remainder of the prisoner? thought it better lo proceed to work, and filed out, leaving me alone with No. 371! Private John Sullivan, Irish Guards, Private Sullivan had been badly wounded, and had lost the whole of his second, third; and fourth fingers, and half of tin first finger of his left hand. This hum] was also bleeding when he was'at work, Tho two sentries lacked and bent u< with their rifles out of the passage, as far us the second landing, where Private Sullivan halted, showing them his bleeding hand, and trying to explain that it was impossible for him. to work with a scythe in his wounded condition. , 1% sentry at 1 once put his riilo up and shqi Private Sullivan through the chest. Prr vate Sullivan fell without speaking, am the two sentries at once reversed then rifles and placed the butts between Pn vate Sullivan's legs. In. this way the} levered him up and threw him down (n< stairs, where he fell on the landing al my feet. ... He raised himself on hie hands and knees, looked at me, smiled and collapsed without speaking . ._ . 1 was nobpermitted to assist Private humvan in any way. He was. left on tl« ground alono until ho died. . . . I saw tlie German oflkov shako hands with tin soldier ..." The witness then goes on to descnbi how he and another soldier dug a grave for the murdered Irishman, how "about 50 people from the Hackpfuffel district at tended the funeral, laughing, talking am .occasionally bursting into loud roars o! laughter." . The second n.c.0., a- corporal in tin Grenadier Guards, states: "1 did not actually see Private John Sullivan shot but I saw him lying at the bottom o the stairs, about fifteen minutes after wards. ... He received no attendance o: any sort. I corroborate in every decai the evidence of tho first witness as ro jjarcls tho funeral of Private Sullivan The unseemly conduct of the onloosen . . . absolutely disgusted myself and mj comrades." , Crimes such as the murder ofPrivate Sullivan arc quite beyond the comprc hension of civilised people. But in the face of such things, can it be wondcree at that the Allies are resolved up.tr baiting Germany to her knees and forcinj her unconditional surrender. The , Hun: appear to bo utterly devoid of everj feelimr of humanity, and ere worso thai wild beasts. As such they must be hunted, and there will not bo an Irishman or an 'Englishman, whose, conscience does not bid hip join in the hunting, and avenge Sullivan's death.