The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-07-23
NEW ULNL.
Mr. Peter Lieber Rises to Defend the Repu-
tation of This Minnesota Town.

Mr.. Peter Lieber Rises to Defend the Repu-
tation of This Minnesota Town.
Indianapolis Saturday Herald
IN Minnesota, the village OF New Tim has had
a strange history. 1t was first settled by athe-
lists aud Rtidels of the lowest type, who planned
that it should bs goddess community. They
purpnsed to let IN the gambling saloon the drink
ing saloon, theater and brothei, but keep outline
church 1t was there that the awiul LARGE Was
enacted in oaricature of the crucifiXton and
Lords supper. But God was not dead or lnuit-
fereut. The Sioux Indians swept down upon IL
aud destroyed it, ami the very hrst man VINO
aed covering To the cellars to escape the toina-
hawk aud scaipng knife, was the leader IN that
dreadful sacrilege. The place was rebuilt nut
in July, 1881 one Of the most dreadful tnrnahoes
ever known in the West swept it into IA second
ruin. Gods whiriwind obeyed his avenclng de-
cree. and the illustrated papers or dniy "a lesl'
Vanly sought to picture the awlul desolatiOh.
From Dr. Persons Sermon.
Rev. Arthur +. Pierson;
/ find the above untruthful and slanderou5
statement made i'll sermon preached oy
you in the Second Presbyterian Church OF
this city, Sunday, the 18th of April You
have either been miSinformed, or, to support
theory, have willingly perverted the truth.
1t were more charitable to believe the for
mer, and 1 hope you may have the comfort
of that extenuating circumsian for the
gross injustice you have done to this frontier
village, pass on to particdlarize your errors
in this affair
You saw New Ulm was settled by atheists
and infidels OF the lowest type" There you
are mistaken. True, the village was settled
by infidels, but they were not or the
Lowest type AS body they we're intelli-
pent and upright men and women. Myself
and family lived there and can bear teSn-
mony to New Ulm being a civil and law
abiding place. Do you consider myself and
family as OF the Lowest typeY Mr.. Charles
Kehne. an educated gentleman OF this city,
now partner in the Art Elm porium' here.
was one of the settlers there. Is he one of
1.-The lowest type2" Hon. VIM. Pfender who
still lives at New Ulm, was one OF the early
settlers He is man of character and abll-
ity. He was one of the Lincoln electors, and
has been twice elected Secretary of the State
of Minnesota Is Mr. Pfender one of the
lowest type%' The names of other reputable
men, true in society and upright in business,
might be mentioned, but l have named
enough to render null and void your
statement
You again say they ''purposed to let in the
gambling saloons, drinking saloons theaters
and brothes, but to keep out the church.
Prohibition was not adopted, and the church
was not excluded; but it is UNANIMOUSLY false
to charge that our little community "pur-
posed" TO countenance 1.-The brothel."
You say at was there that the awful farce
was enacted in caricature of the crucifxion
and Lords supper," That | believe to be ut
tery without foundation. What some ia
natical individual may have done l cannot
say, but the community eudCleu no SuCu
caricature as you mention.
You further say: God was not dead or
Indifferent The Sioux Indians swept down
upon it aud destroyed it, and the very first
man who fled covering to the cellars, to es-
cape the tomahawk and scalplng-knlfe was
the leader in the dreadful sacrilege." 1t is
exceedingly ungracious in you to charge
cowardice upon any one of the little band OF
men who calamity defended New Ulm. At
that time there was no cowardice there, A
drawer defense of a place has not been
made. This Indian attack on New Ulm took
place in 1862 At that time the majority of
the men of this goddess community
were away from home, in the army
for the union. / was there with many of
my neghbors. When the Indians led by
Little Grow, attacked New Ulm, there were
$50 men in the town. There were from
l. 100 to II, 900 OF the vengefui Sioux Indians
that laid seige to the town and made a
desperate assault upon it. But against this
fearful odds this little band of 80 men stood
firm, defended their homes and repuised the
sayages do not believe that on that daY
there was a coward in New ulm. There was
40 tpan so base as to so covering to the
eellarS,f | do not claim this sallantry for
the iufidels alone. Every man there ire
spective of his faith took up arms for the
town. 1t is a SANDER on New Elm, the in
idels and the Christians alike, to charge
cowardice on anyone there that day
when 200 poorly equipped men repulsed
1, 100 armed Indians. Of that $50 defenders,
sixty of them were killed The only persons
who went to the cellars were the women and
children. A large number of them went
into the large cellar under my store The
doctor of the place prepared pot OF poison.
They had resolved TO take their potion of it
rather than fall into the hands OF the iufuri-
ated Indians.
feel certain. sir that you could not have
it in your heart to charge cowardice upon
the people of New Ulm if you knew all the
circumstances connected with that seiSe and
defense. Your zeal TO forward a theory has,
l lear, mised you.
The Indians were no respecters Of creeds.
The two Presbyterian missionaries and one
of the Episcopal faith came fleeing in from
the vengeance of the Indians. ] do not
blame them. They could only do that or die.
New Ulm from its first settlement has been
noted in business circles for its integrity and
sound credit. More than one of the infidels
OF that goddess community" have been hon
ored by the people OF the county and State
with places of trust and profit" 1t was
celebrated for its hospitality to neighbors and
strangers. / do not set New, Ulm as garden
of Eden" Like all other places. it had lis
blemishes, but it was not what You painted
it. Very respectfully, PETER LIEBER