BURNT ALIVE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 219, 23 February 1915, Page 2

BURNT ALIVE.

STORY OF TERRIBLE CRIMES. FAMILY SOUSED IK PETROL. A French "dresser" employed in an arLulance belonging to the ,20th Regimen, has received a letter from his wife, v'!i; remained in the Bandonviller during the German occupation. The following extracts from the letter, the original of which is in possession of the Paris Temps arc given by the Daily Telegraph. "The quarries at Bremenvil, Montrcux, Monsigny, and Ancerviller are all destroyed; the buildings have been burned,' and they all lie in ruins. The Germans killed men, women and children there, throwing their dead bodies into the flames. . The wife of the mayor of Bandoviller was shot, and her body was also burned. Odinot's wife and his three children were soused in petrol and set 01 fire while they still lived. Several others of our friends, amongst them Baptiste Le Brencl and Linncourt, and others were shot and buried close to their own houses. More than three-quarters of the houses are burn'ed, and from the ruined houses, stables and, cowsheds, one hears nothing but the groans of men and women and the cry of pain from beasts which have been scorched, during their frenzied efforts to break away from the, burning shelters. Parux 110 longer exists, every house is burned, and blood is upon every ruined lintel. Cuny is completely destroyed, and all poor Claude's horses and cows were burned, alive. I have your sister, Josephine, and your mother with me; they have nothing left but their lives; nothing remains of their home, they have done none of their linen, it was all burned and their money as well that they had kept in the house. Jean's farm is in ruins, and all his cattle driven off; but dear Ernest, you must not forget, 'le bon Dieu,' who has watched over me. I was given strength to overcome my terror even before their rifle which they thrust in my face in order to try and, intimidate me. 1 was enabled to get away from-them and put out the flaming fagots that they had liiaeed against our barn, my heart wishing them evil the while. 'l saved our bouse, our home, aim even our beast. It is true they drove off our horse, took, our cart, but, by the goodness of God. they restored them to me when they saw that I was determined to sjay where I was; and, Ernest, they even brought back our own beloved horse. All. our poor countryside, it is indeed a pitiable sight! Never has the like been seen! Thousands of visitors have come to satisfy their curiosity, and to witness our grief and ruin. But, Ernest, when you think ol it. we have much to be thankful for, and wo must be grateful to God, for see how others have suffered, and how lightly we have been afflicted."