Upper front windows of all houses on certain specified
streets must be closed and locked after nightfall, remaining so until
daylight of the following morning; this notice being followed and
overlapped very shortly by one more amplifying, which prescribed that
not only must front windows be made fast, but all must have lights
behind them and the street doors must be left unlocked.
The portent of this was simple enough: If any man sought to fire on the
soldiers below he must first unfasten a window and expose himself in the
light; and after he fired admittance would be made easy for those who
came searching for him to kill him.
At first these placards were signed by the burgomaster, with the
military commandant's indorsement, and sometimes by both those
functionaries; but on the second day there appeared one signed by the
commandant only; and this one, for special emphasis, was bounded by wide
borders printed in bright red. It stated, with cruel brevity, that the
burgomaster, the senator for the district and the leading magistrate had
been taken into custody as hostages for the good conduct of their
constituents; and that if a civilian made any attack against the Germans
he would forfeit his own life and endanger the lives of the three
prisoners.
Pages:
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107