"We were all placed,"
recounts a sufferer, "in Station Street, Louvain, and the German
soldiers fired on us. I saw the corpses of some women in the street. I
fell down, and a woman who had been shot fell on top of me." Women and
children suddenly turned out into the streets, and, compelled to witness
the destruction by fire of their homes, provided a sad spectacle to such
as were sober enough to see. A humane German officer, witnessing the
ruin of Aerschot, exclaims in disgust: "I am a father myself, and I
cannot bear this. It is not war, but butchery." Officers as well as men
succumbed to the temptation of drink, with results which may be
illustrated by an incident which occurred at Campenhout. In this village
there was a certain well-to-do merchant (name given) who had a good
cellar of champagne. On the afternoon of the 14th or 15th of August
three German cavalry officers entered the house and demanded champagne.
Having drunk ten bottles and invited five or six officers and three or
four private soldiers to join them, they continued their carouse, and
then called for the master and mistress of the house.
"Immediately my mistress came in," says the valet de chambre,
"one of the officers who was sitting on the floor got up, and,
putting a revolver to my mistress temple, shot her dead.
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