As to Person: My name is Hugo Lagershausen. I am 19 years of age; Protestant.
As to Case: I was attached to the 8th Company, Infantry Regiment No. 73, which had pushed forward from Spa towards Liège. We, i.e. a corporal of Regiment No. 74, several musketeers of Regiments Nos. 82 and 83, and I myself, forthwith got the order to act as a reconnoitring patrol on the right. This was on the night of August 5th-6th. As the darkness had set in, and we had to proceed very quietly, I suddenly found myself separated from all the rest of the patrol. Towards midday on August 6th I reached a dressing-station which had been arranged in some farm buildings near the village of Chênée. I found in the house some fifteen severely wounded German soldiers, four or five of whom had been shockingly mutilated. Both eyes had been put out, and some of the victims had several finger joints cut off. Their wounds were still comparatively fresh, though the blood was already somewhat coagulated. These soldiers were still alive and groaning. It was impossible for me to give them any help. There was no doctor in the place, as I had already ascertained by questioning other wounded men lying in the house. At the same time I came across in the house six or seven Belgian civilians; four of these were women, who gave the wounded water. The men remained quite inactive. I saw no weapons in their possession; further, whether their hands were bloodstained I cannot say, because they kept them concealed in their pockets. As regards the point whether it was these persons who had perpetrated these cruelties on the wounded soldiers, I can make no definite pronouncement. I could take no action against these persons, because I was absolutely alone.
Read over, approved, signed.
Signed: Musketeer Lagershausen.
The witness was sworn in accordance with regulations.
Signed: Lindenberg. Signed: Koepf.
App. 60.
Military Court Examination of the soldier Koch, Infantry Regiment No. 25.
Staden, November 27th, 1914.
Divisional Headquarters.