As to Person: My name is Wilhelm Neumann. I am 45 years of age; Lutheran; Captain and Leader of the 1st Infantry Munitions Column, X. Army Corps; Police-Court Councillor at Syke, near Bremen.
As to Case: On August 14th, 1914, my column was marching with others through Louveigné. A halt was made here for watering the horses. I was near the head of the column when I heard shots behind me. Subsequently I was informed that the rear of the column had been fired at from the flanks. Soon after, before I could make any definite arrangements, two civilian men were brought forward by soldiers belonging to my column, with the information that these were caught in trying to escape after they had fired on the column.
After a brief trial these persons were shot because they had been caught in the act.
Signed: MAACK, Lieutenant. Signed: SCHÜTTE, Non-commissioned Officer.
STATEMENT of 1st Lieutenant Helmke of the Telephone Detachment, X. Army Corps.
On the night of the 11th-12th August at Hockai, in the quarter in which I lay with my platoon together with a platoon of infantry, two infantry soldiers were wounded in the head by small shot which had been fired from outside through the open door down the passage. As I myself, too, stepped out of the house a shot was fired at me in the dark, apparently from a revolver. As there were no enemy troops in the vicinity, it is only the action of civilian inhabitants which comes into question here.
When on the evening of the 22nd August, during an advance, I entered with my detachment the apparently deserted village of Aiseau, near Tamines, in the middle of the village, at a bend of the street, a vigorous fire was opened on the detachment from the houses on every side. This had the appearance of a surprise attack, thoroughly prepared beforehand; and this was afterwards confirmed by the fact that on searching the houses we discovered a considerable collection of ammunition on the window-sills, amongst it a large number of French cartridges.
As cartridges of military pattern were found in the houses of four of the inhabitants, we may accept it as certain that the inhabitants had taken part in the firing. The four inhabitants were arrested and led away by a platoon of pioneers who had carried out the search of the village.