GUISCARD, _March 1st, 1915_.
Present:
Member of the Military High Court, RIESE.
Secretary, REISENER.
There appeared as a witness Non-commissioned Officer Muesfeldt, and,
after the importance of the oath had been pointed out to him, he was
examined as follows:
As to Person: My name is Willy Muesfeldt, aged 33; Protestant;
non-commissioned officer, IX. Reserve Corps.
As to Case: On August 25th I arrived with the first party of the
General Command at Louvain. We unloaded and drove with the baggage to
the market-place. Here we remained, as it was said that the English
were near, and that we might have to go into action that day. In
the evening, at about 9 o'clock, Captain von Esmarch, leader of our
baggage, arrived in the automobile and said that matters had turned
out differently, and that we could march off to quarters. The Captain
mounted the horse and gave the order "Mount." He had hardly said this
when firing commenced from all sides. I fetched my rifle from the
cart, took cover, and fired. Then I noticed that the Captain lay on
the ground, wounded; I brought him into safety beneath a cart, and
continued firing. I cannot say exactly how long the firing continued.
When it ceased, the order was given to search the houses from which
the firing had taken place for francs-tireurs. I approached a house
from which firing had taken place, battered the street door, and went
down the cellar, from which shots had also been fired. I found there
a man of about forty years of age, with dark pointed beard, who had
a revolver in his hand. I immediately threw myself upon him, and in
spite of his struggles I led him up the stairs, where I handed him
over to gendarmes. I did not indeed see this man shoot, but I assume
it with certainty, since I found him with the revolver in his hand; he
struggled, and there was no one in the house except his wife. All this
I related to Captain von Esmarch at Christmas when he was here on a
visit to the General Command. There was a pharmacy in the house, which
I mentioned above.
Read over, approved, signed.
Signed: Non-commissioned Officer MUESFELDT.
The witness was sworn.
Proceedings closed.
Signed: RIESE. Signed: REISENER.