FALL OF BRUSSELS

King Country Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 697, 22 August 1914, Page 5

FALL OF BRUSSELS

BELGIAN CAPITAL TAKEN By Telegraph—Pre >s Extraordinary Received this day, 12.30 a.m. London, Thursday The Germans have occupied Brus- , sels ; BARBARITIES ' I MDRDEIC AND MUTILATION London, Thursday The Mayor of Linsmeau, near Tirlemont, officially reports that German Hussars, whose officer was shot by a Belgian patrol, accused civilians of shooting him They shot two villagers as spies, murdered a man and 'wife, ignited their horns, and cast the bodiea m the flames They shot three others, and finally tied a number to mitrailleuses by the feet, and dragged them with their heads on the ground, eight dying They also fired their revolvers at several civilians, blowng off their ears

TACTICALLY NECESSARY BELGIANS' RETIREMENT . PERFORMED THEIR DUTY London, Thursday The Press Bureau reports that the Belgians retirement was tactically necessary, and was anticipated for some days . Belgium had already admirably performed her duty of delaying the German advance, enabling the Allies to complete their concentration FIGHT AT AERSUHOT FORCED BACK ON LOUVAIN Brussels, Thursday Renter's Ghent correspodnert reports that a fierce action was fought at Aerschot on Wednesday Two German aeroplanes reconnoitred th* Belgian positions and then German infantry and machine guns attacked an inferior Belgian lorce, which resisted desperately Two regiments which had already fought splendidly at Liege were in the forefront, and tenaciously held their ground for two hour?, inflicting severe losses Finally th« Belgiane, being assailed on the front and right flank, began to retreat upon Louvan, which is covered by Major Gilson'a force FLAG DRAPED IN CREPE PLIGHT OF REFUGEES . Received this day, 12.5 a.m. Londor, Friday Mr M. Donohoe, writing from Ghent, says the abandonment of Brussels was the reßUlt of a conference between the commanders of the Allies and the civic authorities as a method of saving historic monuments from German savagery. The decision was highly displeasing to the Civic Guards manning the entrenchments. When disarmed the majority of the Civic Guards marched out and entrained for Ghent in oro"er to get re-armed and fight elsewhere.

The Mayor of Brussels warned the townsfolk the city was at the mercy of the enemy, and urged them to give no ground for hostile action.

The townsfolk awaited the coming of the Prussians bravely, though they had been witnessing the arrival of thousands of half clad, homeless peasants who had fled before Prussian bayonets.

Whun it was decided not to defend Brussels the wounded were entrained to places of safety. The citizens, often ten deep, stood bareheaded while the wounded were carried out, and cheered the departing trains. After thera was a considerable exodus of the mala population, fearing to "ba made prisoners Refugees from the country are now encamped in the public square?. The roads from- Louvain are still packed with retreating soldiers. fugitive 3 and carts, whereof many are drawn by dogs The majority lost money and clothes, the Germans pitilessly firing farms, villages and crops. A party of Uhlans occupied Brussels in Thursday afternoon. The streets are deserted Some citizens draped the Belgian flag in crepe THE GERMAN THREAT LAY BRUSSELS IN RUINS Received this day, 8.5 a.m. London, Fridav The Germans threatened to lay Brussels in ruins if a shot was fired from the entrenchments. The Belgian War Office ordered the Civic Guards to disarm. They sat in the trenches weeping because they were not allowed to fight GERMAN RUTHLESSNESS BELGIAN CITIZENS MURDERED Received Friday, 6-35 p.m. Paris, Thursday The Germans murdered eleven persons at Padonviller, including the mayor's wife. They burned seventy eight bouses, and killed five at Bremeuil, incudirg a man and woman aged seventy-four