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Show IN THICK OF BATTLE AT TILSIT, PRUSSIA One of the Utah pcoplo who have come nearest tho actual fighting In Enrope is Edward C. Hunter, son of Hlshop Oscar F. Hunter of the 8th Ward, Salt Lake City, who was a missionary mis-sionary in Tilsit, northeastern Prussia, Prus-sia, closo to tho Russian frontier. It was through this section that the Russians made their first raid into Prussia and from which, later they were driven out by the Germans with heavy losses. Elder Hunter was In the city of Tilsit when the Germans drove tho Russians out of it. He was in the midst of tho street fighting when n bullet smashed n brick in the wall just above his head. Later he visited visit-ed tho battlefield on the outskirts of tho town where tho principal engagement engage-ment took place, and where ho secured se-cured a pistol from a dead Russian soldier's hand. A letter received recently re-cently from him by his father reads in part: "On September 13, I was taking a music lesson at Maler's and practicing practic-ing n song for Sunday. I hadn't been thero long when I heard the ter-riblo ter-riblo thunder of cannons. Going to tho window I saw the battle about two miles away with bombs bursting everywhere. Cold chills crept up my spine and for tho first timo I feared for my life. The cannons continued roaring and I thought the wholo houso would fall in. Along toward evening wo saw our Russian friends fleeing for their lives. Many of them had their arms shot off; others oth-ers had been shot in tho legs or body. It was indeed terrible to look upon. Ono old man cried like a baby. "About an hour later tho Germans camo riding into tho city. Thinking all was over, tho people camo rushing Into tho streets with bread, beer, cigars, ci-gars, flowers nnd nil kinds of fruit. But to our surprise, it wasn't all over. Suddenly wo heard the crack of rifles, and in hurrying along from ono street to another I had n narrow oscupc. I heard the buzz of bullets which crashed into a wall just above my head. Tho soldiers wero crying "Clear tho street!" Then wo saw tho Russians falling llko rain for about two minutes. Tho horses would plunge Into the air and sink In large pools of blood. Many of tho soldiers did the same. Many of them, it seemed to me, would stretch I out their arms as If grasping f6r new. life, until they wero dead. Instead of water In tho gutters wo saw blood gradually forcing Its way to tho out-1 skirts of tho town. "Sept. 14, tho roaring still contln- ued until 12 o'clock, when 35,000 prisoners pris-oners were taken. After meeting, wo took a walk out on the battlefield. battle-field. I picked up n pistol and looked look-ed at tho poor fellow who had been carrying It. J felt of his hand and it wns stiff and cold, bo I knew I had no need to ask him if I might hao it. I did ask a German officer if I might tako It, and ho told me, "Yes." "Wo walked over tho battlefield where I had given out tracts about a month before, and Indeed it seemed liko n dream. Tho onco beautiful villages wero nothing but ruins. Tho long trenches that had been dug later served as graves for tho Russian soldiers." sol-diers." Elder Hunter's letter goes on to describe de-scribe Russian atrocities as related to tho writer by eyewitnesses, also of the sevcro reprisals ordered by the Germans. When tho city was completely com-pletely Invested by tho Germans, Elder Hunter was permitted to leavo and athe rest of tho letter tells of his difficulties in reaching England. Ho is now in Chattanooga, Tcnn., having hav-ing been transferred to tho Southern States mission. |