Court of the Government-General at Brussels.
Present:
Dr. IVERS, Judge of Military Law.
Secretary, RAMBEAU.
LOUVAIN, _September 18th, 1914_.
Landsturm-soldier Küppers, Landsturm Battalion Neuss, made the
following statement:
As to Person: My name is Hubert Küppers, born at Güchen, district of
Grevenbroich, on April 11th, 1877; Catholic.
As to Case: I am a soldier of the 1st Company, Landsturm Infantry
Battalion Neuss.
On August 25th I was, in the evening between 7 and 9 o'clock, sentinel
in front of the main entrance to the station building at Louvain. At
about 8 o'clock the leader of our company arrived with his company
in the station square. One part of the company drew up between our
baggage-carts in the station square, another part lay down on the
ground a few paces from us. The company had only been in the station
square for about five minutes when I saw a green rocket go up, going in
the direction above the Hôtel "Maria Theresa" at the station square.
I saw how the rocket became extinguished above the Monument in the
station square and a number of bright, many-coloured little balls fell
down, which all went out in the air before they touched the ground.
Hardly had the green rocket and the small balls become extinguished
when, on the opposite side of the town, and also in the direction
towards the station, a red rocket became visible. After a few minutes
the red rocket also became extinguished, and immediately afterwards a
number of luminous little balls, blue, red, and green, from the rocket
fell down and were extinguished before touching the ground. Only a few
seconds later a murderous fire was opened upon the German soldiers
from the windows and attics of nearly all the houses in the station
square. I am certain that the two rockets were a sign to the Belgians
for commencing the fire upon the German soldiers. At 9 o'clock I was
relieved. I immediately reported to Non-commissioned Officer Grünewald,
on duty in the guardroom, that at about 8 o'clock I had seen two
rockets go up, one from the left of the town and the other from the
right--the first, a green one, followed immediately by a red one, from
both of which fell a quantity of luminous, many-coloured, small balls.
After the witness had been earnestly exhorted to speak the truth, he
made the following statement:
I am ready to swear conscientiously to the incident of the two rockets
just as I have described it.
Read over, approved, signed.
Signed: HUBERT KÜPPERS.
The witness was then sworn.
Signed: Dr. IVERS. Signed: RAMBEAU.