Herzogliches Amtsgericht.
Present:
Oberamtsrichter Dr. Schilling, Judge.
Gerichtsobersecretär Hornig, Secretary.
There appeared as witness the reservist Richard Weise, 6th Company, Fusilier Regiment No. 36, born March 29th, 1890, at Hohenmölsen, District of Weissenfels, at present in the hospital of this place.
There were read over to him the following statements made by 1st Lieutenant Reyner on October 31st, 1914:
"In the early days of August, it may have been the middle of the month, I was on officer-patrol duty near the Belgian frontier, with orders to occupy a bridge. A brief engagement took place, and after an hour and a half the patrol retired. I, with some fusiliers, received some special orders, and for that reason left the patrol.
"During our retirement over a meadow we noticed in a street-trench, near a group of houses, several civilians who remained there. When we approached nearer, we saw lying in the trench a German soldier whose eyes had both been cut out. Thereupon we attacked the civilians, who ran off into the adjacent houses, and from these opened fire upon us. What became of the cruelly treated soldier I cannot say."
The witness thereupon declared: This statement is correct. I adopt it also as my own statement to-day, and make the following addition to it. I did not see the three or four civilians (who, in fear of us, ran away from the wounded German soldier into the adjacent houses) put out the eyes of the soldier. That these men, however, were guilty is clear from the fact that our wounded German comrade implored us, "Take me with you; they have just put out my eyes."
The attention of the witness was then called to the importance of the oath, and he accordingly gave his sworn testimony.
Read over, approved, signed.
Signed: Richard Weise.
Signed: Dr. Schilling. Signed: R. Hornig.