Present:
President of the Court, SCHWEINITZ.
Secretary, LIPS.
NEUFCHÂTEL, _March 2nd, 1915_.
In the inquiry concerning the events in Dinant there appeared as
witness Major Steinhoff, who stated:
As to Person: My name is Fritz Eugen Steinhoff. I am 48 years old;
Protestant; Major and Commander of Pioneers, XII. Army Corps.
As to Case: On August 23rd, 1914, about 5 o'clock in the afternoon,
I came to the crossing-place at Les Rivages, where there was no one
except an officer's patrol of the Pioneers. I went as far as the bank,
and then on about 100 metres towards Anseremme. Various soldiers
pointed out to me that there was firing from the bridge, and from the
houses near the bridge. Wounded soldiers lay in the street. I was also
fired at, and other soldiers warned me against proceeding farther.
I went back to the crossing-place, and there met Colonel Meister,
to whom I reported my observations. He had the district cleared by
a detachment, which brought in a large number of men and women. Of
these, the men were placed by a wall at the crossing-place, the women
and children somewhat farther downstream. The crossing and building of
the bridge was now in progress. When the bridge had been pushed out
about 40 metres, a heavy rifle-fire was delivered from the houses of
Les Rivages and from the rocks above on the waiting Grenadiers and the
Pioneers at work. I myself heard the whistle, on a rough estimate, of
100 bullets. A great confusion ensued. Everybody sought cover, and work
was interrupted. Even the Grenadiers, who stood there in a mass, were
in great agitation. I went again through a garden-plot to the Meuse in
order to look after the Pioneers. At this moment the fire of the enemy
flared up, and simultaneously I heard a couple of rapid volleys in the
immediate vicinity.
I thereupon went back and saw at the spot, where previously the
captured men had stood, a heap of corpses. From that moment onwards
the francs-tireurs' firing ceased completely, and the bridging work
proceeded undisturbed.
Read over, approved, signed.
Signed: STEINHOFF.
The witness was thereupon sworn.
Signed: SCHWEINITZ. Signed: LIPS.