Louvain Outrage.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 82, 1 September 1914, Page 8

Louvain Outrage.

WORSE THAN SAVAGES. VENEER OF CIVILISATION WORN OFF. DELIBERATE SLAUGHTER OF CITIZENS. STREETS STREWN WITH CORPSES,

Received 31, f1.40 p.m.

London, August 31 (morning)

At Louvain, shells were fired at many of the buildings. Petrol was poured on others, and lights applied. •Under a strong escort, two groups of men and women, each 100 strong, were placed in rows at the station, and whenever a soldier was shot in the town ten of these pitiful civilians were slaughtered. No mercy was shown. Tears and pleadings were in vain, Next morning the boulevards were .strewn with corpses, including the todies of priests. Some of the inhabitants were driven on to the roof of a burning building, where they perished. Fifty civilians who took refuge at the station were accused of shooting. They protested their innocence, but all were shot.

A Dutchman, who previously escaped by pretending to be a German, believes that the first firing was tot done by civilians.

ALLEGED ATTACK BY' THE TOWNSPEOPLE.

"MOST TERRIBLE THINGS FOLLOWED."

Received 31, D.l.'i p.m

London, August 31 (morning)

The Rotterdam correspondent of the Nicuwe Courant witnessed the outrages at Louvain. He accompanied a German officer through the tour. He declared that while the commander and his staff, and many of the military, were awaiting a food and ammunition train just arriving at the station, shots rang out from the houses in the vicinity. The shooting was immediately taken up by houses throughout the town. Krnm a window in a hotel opposite the station a machine-gun opened fire, It was impossible to know which civilians participated in the shooting, or which houses fired; therefore the soldiers entcrnl all the houses, and the most terrible things followed. Every civilian found with weapons, or suspected of firing, was killed immediately. Innocent suli'cred with the guilty, and old men. sick people, and women were shot.