dle of the road, while the Germans prudently
kept to the footpaths. M. Levasseur, Mme. Dauchy and her little girl
aged 5, MM. Pinchaux, Minouflet, and Leymarie were among the number of
the hostages who were thus exposed to death. Near the hospital
Levasseur was killed. Soon Leymarie in his turn fell mortally wounded.
As he was carrying him to lay him at the foot of a wall, Minouflet was
struck by a bullet on the knee. An officer approached him, and told
him to show his wound, and then suddenly fired with his revolver into
his shoulder. At the same spot a witness saw another officer in the
act of torturing a French wounded soldier by beating him in the face
with a stick.

Meanwhile several murders were committed. M. Simon was dragged out of
his house and killed by a rifle shot in the side. At 2 o'clock the
Germans broke in the door of M. Megret's house. The latter came
forward, promised to give them everything they asked for, and brought
them ten bottles of wine. He was murdered by a shot full in the chest.
MM. Ramu, Vilcoq, Chambellant and Gaudet, drawn by curiosity, went to
look at the burning forage store to which the French troops had set
fire as they retired. Enemy soldiers fired on them several times. Ramu
was wounded, Gaudet was killed on the spot, Chambellant received two
bullets, one in his right hand and the other below the groin, and died
a week later. MM. Simon, Ecker, Chery, Leblond, Rigauld, Louis, and
Momus were also killed in Senlis.

At 3 o'clock the Mayor, M. Odent, was arrested at the Hotel de Ville
on the allegation, against which he protested, that civilians had
fired on the German troops. While he was being led away the Secretary
of the Mairie joined him near the Hotel du Grand Cerf, and proposed
that he should go and fetch his Deputies. "It is useless," he replied,
"one victim is enough." The Magistrate was taken to Chamant, and
during the journey was the butt of hateful brutality. His gloves were
torn from him and thrown in his face; his stick was taken from him and
he was violently beaten with it on the head. Finally, toward 11
o'clock, he was made to appear before three officers. One of them
questioned him, persisting in accusing him of having fired or caused
others to fire on the Germans, and warned him that he was about to
die. M. Odent then went to his fellow-captives, handed them his papers
and money, shook hands with them, and with great dignity made his last
adieu. He then returned to th