'At first,' they replied, 'but not afterward. They
make a great noise, but they never catch us, and we do not mind
them--the shells.' A boy of 12, who was carrying on his father's
hair-dressing business single-handed during the latter's absence on
service, expressed a similar opinion.
"I am told that about 3,000 people remained, out of the normal
population of 100,000, during the bombardment. I cannot ascertain the
number of killed and injured, but it certainly runs into the hundreds.
Those of the inhabitants who left the city but remained in the
neighborhood returned after the bombardment and were here during the
eleven days of the Austrian occupation.
"The practice of taking hostages, which it has been reserved for this
twentieth century civilized war to revive, was resorted to at Belgrade.
I am assured on unimpeachable authority, supported by accounts of
several eyewitnesses, that not fewer than 1,000 persons were carried off
to Austria. Among them were boys of 15 and 16. Nor were foreign
residents immune. M. Bissers, the Belgian Consul, who is also a Director
of the electric tram and light company, was of the number. He was
handcuffed like a common criminal. Neither the fate nor whereabouts of
these civilian prisoners of war is known.
"The plate-glass fronts of many shops in the principal thoroughfares are
smashed, and the interiors present a picture of desolation, overturned
cash registers and objects that have not been stolen lying broken and
scattered on the floor, but the majority of the establishments that have
been ransacked do not show outward signs of it.
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