The Kingdom of serbia : report upon the atrocities committed by the Austro-Hungarian Army during the first invasion of Serbia

36 AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN ATROCITIES

then they sprayed the corpse with paraffin and set fire to it.

Witness encountered a woman on the way, with her hair all dishevelled. She had been bayoneted in the chest, and moreover her clothes were completely torn.

Next morning, not far from him and four of his colleagues, a private came running with the news that Lieutenant Berticz Joseph, a Hungarian, wanted to shoot 7 innocent persons. Witness requested his friend, Lieutenant Stevan Raikovitch, to go and see what was the matter, and if possible, to prevent Berticz from committing the crime. As they approached a wood, Berticz saw him and called out “ Don’t come, if you come nearer, I will kill you.” He stopped and witnessed the following: 7 men (2 old men of about 70 and 5 boys of about 14 or 15 years of age) were tied together. The soldiers dug their grave before his eyes. Lieutenant Berticz went up to the first old man, a deaf-mute, struck first him and then another with his fist, showed them the pit, and said: “You Serbian swine, this is for you.” He then had the first old man led up and shot. The second was bayoneted to death. The five boys were shot by a volley.

Lieutenant Raikovitch called out to Berticz: « Have you permission to do this?” And he added: <I shall go to Lieutenant-Colonel Petrovitch (or Simonovitch) and tell him what you have done.” The latter promised to make an enquiry, but did nothing, The victims had no weapons.

The Hungarians and the Croats were the worst,