ARAB ATROCITIES

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 27, 15 January 1912, Page 3

ARAB ATROCITIES

Reuter’s ageiit at Rome gives horible details of Arab atrocities committed on Italian soldiers after the Jattle of October 23rd. “Surgeon-General Sforza, accompanied by Colonel .Negrotto, Colonel Min*ci, Captain de Stefani, and several journalists, to-day visited the posidons occupied by the Italian troops liter the forward movement on Sunday. In a house near tlie flenni Mosque, which was used as tl first aid section by the 27th, Batt. of the Borsagliera before October 23rd, the bodies of twenty-eight Italian soldiers, •vho fell in the battle of that date, .vere horribly mutilated, Several had >oen crucified, while ( some had their diroats cut, others their limbs disjointed, and yet others had been impaled on stakes, or disembowelled. Among these last was the body of a military doctor. ', “In a neighbouring cemetery, which >vas occupied on October 23rd by the Ith company of the 11th Bersaglieri, die bodies were found of seven Bersagieri who had fallen in the battle of October 23rd. They had been buried dive, Ivith their heads above ground. The body of a Bersaglieri of the 6th company was also found pierced through, and through by numerous dagger stabs and rifle shots. The man’s eyes had been torn out and sewn to his forehead, while his eyelids were also sown up. The cotton could still be seen. His face had ■been distorted by spasmodic contractions. Another soldier was found buried with ono arm sticking out of the ground, with a hand cut off. Another was found cut.into small pieces, i’iie cap of a captain was picked up, mcl was identified by a corporal who bad a miraculous escape after renaming hidden for more than four hours in a ditch. The corporal said that lie saw among those who were committing outrages on the Italian soldiers Turkish officers and soldiers, ind even women. A nuijnher of unboned bodies were also found arranged in obscene positions. All Imre traces of atrocious treatment. The correspondents of some foreign newspapers wore present during the investigation.”