On Tuesday, September 29, I visited Wetteren Hospital. I went in
company with the Prince L. de Croy, the Due D'Ursel, a senator; the
Count de Briey, Intendant de la Liste Civile du Roy, and the Count Retz
la Barre (all of the Garde du General de Wette, Divisions de Cavalerie).
One at least of these gentlemen is as well and as favorably known in
this country as in his own. I took a young linguist, who was kind enough
to act as secretary for me. In the hospital I found eleven peasants with
bayonet wounds upon them--men, women and a child--who had been marched
in front of the Germans at Alost as a cover for the troops, and cut with
bayonets when they tried to dodge the firing. A priest was ministering
to them, bed by bed. Sisters were in attendance. The priest led us to
the cot of one of the men. On Sunday morning, September 27, the peasant,
Leopold de Man, of No. 90, Hovenier-Straat, Alost, was hiding in the
house with his sister, in the cellar. The Germans made a fire of the
table and chairs in the upper room. Then, catching sight of Leopold,
they struck him with the butts of their guns and forced him to pass
through the fire. Then, taking him outside, they struck him to the
ground and gave him a blow over the head with a gunstock and a cut of
the bayonet, which pierced his thigh all the way through.
"In spite of my wound," said he, "they made me pass between their lines,
giving me still more blows of the gun-butt in the back in order to make
me march.
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