At about 7.30 p.m. I had gone to the Hôtel Métropole, Rue Vital Decoster, to dine. I had just finished the soup when a gendarme (we had six of them with us) brought me word that I was to go to the town hall. On the way he told me that inhabitants had fired upon soldiers in the town. A few minutes later at the town hall I heard suddenly lively firing in the town-hall square. I saw the company in the lower room standing at the windows and replying to the firing of the inhabitants. In front of the town hall, on the entrance staircase, I also saw soldiers firing who replied to the firing of the inhabitants in the direction of the houses. When asked, they all declared that inhabitants had first fired on them from such-and-such windows. The whistling of the bullets was similar to that of Brownings, and totally different from the sound of our projectiles. In the meanwhile, the firing had been stopped by the company leaders. In the upper room lay another company. It was quiet for a time. The town-hall square was now filled with artillery--one battery--and with columns, motor-cars, and benzine-tanks. A tremendous rifle-fire now commenced again from the surrounding houses of the townsfolk. I saw how one company sought cover in the entrance to St. Peter's Church. In the meantime, we had deposited the wounded in the town hall; I believe there were three, wounded chiefly in the legs. After the firing had again ceased I ordered the surrounding houses to be searched. This was effected in such a manner that all inhabitants found with arms or ammunition were immediately shot. The houses were set on fire. I saw myself one Belgian civilian on whom was found a roll of cartridges. At about this time the General in Command, IX. Reserve Corps, His Excellency v. Boehn, arrived at the town hall at about 10.30 p.m. He was very indignant about this firing by the Belgians. When he rode to the hotel with the Staff a murderous fire was opened upon him and his Staff from windows and roofs, without any provocation, and three of his adjutants were seriously wounded, a troop of about ninety horses was stampeded, wounded, or killed. His Excellency v. Boehn asked to be conducted to the town hall to see the hostages. In his own presence and that of his officers, the hostages were told in French that if the town continued to be fired on, the town would have to pay a contribution of twenty million francs, the hostages would be shot, and the town destroyed.