As to Case: On August 5th our battalion marched through a village near Herve in Belgium. A man of the 5th Company came to meet us with the words, "What brutality! Now they have gouged out the eyes of one of our Einjähriger." He pointed to the place where the Einjähriger lay. We all had to go to the place, and saw the Einjähriger lying dead by a garden fence, with his eyes put out. We were convinced that this was the work of the villagers. Next day, when we again passed through the village, we were fired at from cellar gratings and windows, so that orders were received to disarm the villagers and make them prisoners. We forced our way into the houses and carried out the order. As, in spite of this, the firing did not cease, six guilty Belgian peasants were shot by order of an officer.
As to Person: My name is Heinrich Hartmann. I am 24 years old; Protestant; Reservist in the 2nd Company, Infantry Regiment No. 165.
As to Case: I saw lying on the ground the Einjähriger of the 5th Company, with his eyes gouged out. Our company leader, Hauptmann Burkholz, ordered us to search the houses in the place. Inside the house, by the garden fence of which the Einjähriger was found, we came across a big strong man of middle age, who was lying on his bed and pretending to be asleep. We brought him before the officer, who cross-examined him. The man was then shot by a musketeer of the 4th Company.
On the advance towards Liège we came across a German infantry-man who had been thrust into a swampy pool with his head and half his body under water; the man was dead.
MILITARY COURT EXAMINATION of Musketeer Paul Blankenburg, Infantry Regiment No. 165.
BLANKENBURG (HARTZ), _November 14th, 1914_.
Present: Oberamtsgerichter Dr. SCHILLING, Judge. Gerichtsobersecretär HORNIG, Secretary.
There appears as witness Musketeer Paul Blankenburg, 7th Company, Infantry Regiment No. 165, at the present time in the Reserve Hospital of this place. The witness, after the importance of the oath had been pointed out to him, was examined as follows:
As to Person: My name is Paul Blankenburg. I was born in Magdeburg, September 4th, 1893; Protestant.
As to Case: The following statement, which he had made on October 31st of this year before 1st Lieutenant Reyner in this place, was read over to the witness: