In the West.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 5, 7 January 1915, Page 5

In the West.

ANOTHER GERMAN EFFORT TO PIERCE THE LINE. [BT EIiIOTMO TMJOEAFHr-Ooi'XHiuaT) United Press Association. (Received 12.20 p.m.) Amsterdam, January 6. The Great German reinforcements in the Courtrai district foreshadow an attempt to pierce the line north-west of Ypres. \

MORE GERMAN OUTRAGES, PRIESTS BAYONETTED AND TOR-

TURED.

(Received 11.35 a.m.) Pans, January 6

The Belgian Legation has issued a list of German outrages in Belgium. Many religious establishments ' were destroyed. The parish priest at Spontin was suspended by his hands and feet and bayonetted and shot. An octogenarian priest at Bierche.n was tortured.

COLONEL CARRIBALDI'S VICTORIOUS CHARGE. BROTHER CONSTANTINE KILLED (Received 11.35 a.m.) Paris, January 6. A communique states: Colonel Garibaldi, with an Italian regiment, made a victorious charge at Cotrtechauese, in the Argonne, into a trench in which a breach had been made by sapping and exploding, and took 120 prisoners. The Colonel's brother, Constantine, was killed during the attack.

DIRTY GERMAN TRICK.

(Received 8.45 a.m.) Paris, January 6

A German officer screening himself behind two French women walked in front of the French trenches reconnoitring, but a marksman shot the German and the women reached the French lines in safety.

THE CAPTURE OF STEINBACH.

Paris, January 6,

The German commander at Steinbach, replying to a French parlementaire (bearer of a flag of truce) on December 31st, said he did not regard himself as surrounded, as the Cernay road was still open, and it was possible to retreat. In any case the Emperor's troops might be killed, but they would not surrender. The French approached the village in open columns at noon. A mitrailleuse posted on a church tower swept the edge of the wood where the farm - was approached by cross-roads. It was necessary to capture this point d,appui at all costs. The enemy used civilians to shield them, including a woman with her hair waving and her hands tied at her back. The sight inflamed the French, who charged with bayonets fixed, and captured the farm, despite heavy fire. The ventilation holes in the granary wall formed perfect loop-holes, from which the crack shots picked off the Prussian gunners one by one, enabling the principal line to make a new advance. The infantry tried to take the fallen gunners' places, but, through lack of knowledge, they lost valuable time and at the end of the afternoon the French column turned the enemy's right along, the brook. The enemy's desperate coun-ter-attack north of the village completely failed. The cavalry, who counterattacked on foot, were thrown into a stream, and a number of the wounded were drowned. The battle continued till evening. Every lane was an ambuscade, every cottage a for- ! tress; the possession of a wall or a door became an object of a furious hand-to-hand fight, and the exasperation of both sides TN'ight terminated the battle. A French volunteer, taking his life in his hands, ignited a stable where Germans were sheltering. The flames enabled mijbraiL leuses to be used with deadly effect on the flying Germans. The latter's incendiary bombs blew up their own ammunition reserve.

CARDINAL MERCIER'S ARREST. Amsterdam, January 5. Cardinal Mercier has been arrested at Malines. The Germans in Belgium are angry at Cardinal Mercier's pronouncement that they searched the clergy's houses in order to confiscate the pastoral. Cardinal Mercier i s confined in the Archepiscopal Palace at Malines, and was prevented from celebrating Mass at Antwerp on Sunday.

WORLD-WIDE INDIGNATION (Received 11.35 a.m.) London, January C. In all parts of the world there is indignation respecting Cardinal Mercier's arrest, the prelate being widely respected among Protestants. GERMAN BARBARISM. Amsterdam, January 6. The Telegraaf secured the report of -the investigations of a Dutchman who visited a hundred towns and villages, following the German advance on Brussels and Antwerp. The document con. stitutos a terrible dossier of German barbarism, which will be made public at the proper time. BURIAL OF 10,000 DEAD. Rotterdam, January 6. German sappers buried 10,000 dead near Duifeed.

GENERAL, London, January 6. A soldier at the front writes:—"Our trenches are awful places, Imagine an incessant drizzle, and acres of plougcd fields, averaging a foot of mud,

with scores of dead bodies rising to the surface. There is an indescribable stench from the acres of rotten turnips. No light is shown anywhere. A terrific bombardment of shells goes on, yet not a single soldier is to be seen, all being under cover. I Germans shot thirty of the Landsturm in the public square at Steinbach, because they were irresolute. After evacuating Steinbach the Germans were throwing incendiary bombs, and they had to abandon the first line of trenches, which were ablaze, .owing to the wind driving the flames I back.

FRENCH PROGRESS REPORT.

(Received 9 a.m.)

Paris, January 6

A.communique states: We repulsed two attacks on the dunes and to the south-east of St. George's. We progressed one hundred metres north-west of Rheims. We captured trenches at Lagrurie wood and repulsed violent attacks at Bagatelle and Fontamcnadame. _ i ARREST OF DUTCH TELEGRAPH OFFICIAL. (Received 1 a.m.) Amsterdam, January 6. A Dutch telegraph official has been arrested for spying and perusing telegrams from the belligerents and retransmitting them indirectly to another. Further arersts are pending.