MURDERERS OF WOMEN.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 April 1918, Page 8

MURDERERS OF WOMEN.

FUBTHBR TALES OF BELGIAN . ATROCITIES. London, Jan. 12. The National War Aims Committee forwards a statement for publication iu »vhich it is said that the sword, the gibbet. and the prison are still the man factors in the German Government of Belgium. Fifty-eight more executions haw tsken place, bringing to 170 the number of Belgians killed since January, 1917, for some patriotic "crimp." "Among them are at least 10 women, three girls of from 14 to 16, and several boys under 20. Under the rule of Von Biasing, the murderer of Miss Cavell, about a hundred executions took place in one year (1015-18). Von Falkenhausen, surnamed '"The Tiger," increased this number threefold. The two daughters of Mr. Groneret, a hhop-keeper, of Liege, were forced to witness the death of their father and mother. Life was then promised to '.hem if they consented to speak. The eldest, aged 2Q, refused eouragously, and „was killed beside her parents. Pressure was then put on the younger, a girl of i 4, hut she remained firm in spite of all t.h« efforts of her tormentors and shared the same fate. In a group of 20 prisoners shot recently at Ghpnt was a young girl of 16, whose only crime had been to carry letters over the frontier. She begged for her life until the last moment and was shot kneeling. Before his execution a wcll-kiyown sportsman of Ghent, Van Gcntegen, was dragged through the streets of the town attached to a long chain and subjected to the insults of the soldiers, who pelted him with mud and spat on him. In a letter to his wife written a few hours before his death a young Fleming aged 26, father of a family, said: "My hour has come. I have received the last sacraments. I am going to give my life jladlv for God and country. For tho last time I kiss your,dear picture and those of my beloved children. Good-bye my poor dear wife, good-bye my little innocent children. My love for you will not die with inc. From heaven I will watch over you and pray for you." '