The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1906-02-22
Rev. Perry I. BaisIer Causes the
Arrest Of Vim. keenan, on a
Warrant Charging SIander
MUST PROVE STATEMENTS
Backed mp by the Board of
Trustees of His Church Demands
That The Defamers Bring Evil
dence of Statements Made
From Fridays Daily

Sull1eQ ana to clear his gOOQ name
from s1anderous statements made
against him, the Rev. Perry E. Bats
Ter, pastor of the Grace English Luth-
eran church, this morning caused a
civil warrant to be issued for the ar
rest of William keenan,, a delivery
man employed at the Vetter Brothers
grocery store
The warrant is issued for the pur-
pose of bringing keenan, into court to
make answer to charges of SANDER
brought against him by the minister.
Keenansis alleged to have admitted to
the minister and to Chief of Police
Rienold that he [made certain state
ments.
For the past two or three weeks
ugly stories rejecting upon the char
acter of Mr.. Bais1er as man and as
minister.Ghave been in circulation
about the city. ESQ widely have these
statements been circulated that many
people Chad 1accepted them as true.
They werelbrought to the knowledge
of the minister a week ago and he at
once characterized them as false IN
every particular and at once began to
make assearch to discover the ident-
ity of the men or women who had
started the s1anderous remarks.
Backed..@@by the members of his
church almost to man he started out
to make a personal search for the
source Of the statements, but he failed
to makeSany Roadway. When the peo-
pie were found who had circulated
the statements in regard to the minis
ter they hid themselves behind others.
The chain seemed to have no end to
it and finally Mr.. Baisler sent to the
police force and asked the aid of the
police officers in tracing the guilty
parties. One whole day the minister
and Sergeant Newhouse tramped the
West side interviewing people who
had beena known to have made the
statements, but these people simply
referredsthe officer to others.
Whensthe day had been spent with
out results Chief Reinold himself took
work the matter was traced to keenan,.
Reinold and Mr.. Baisler visited Kee-
nan, and at first he declared that he
had never heard of the stories, but
when he was informed that his own
brother-in-1aw had given the informa-
ton he weakened and admitted that
he had told his brother-in-1aw the
alleged story in regard to the minister.
He asserted however, that he had
not originated the story but that it
said that he was willing to take any
punishment connected with the affair
rather than give out the name of his
friend who had originally made the
statement. After the interview Kee-
nan agreed to telephone the name of
the man who had started the story,
but when he communicated with the
police he stated that he. could not
give it as he had forgotten who had
told him.
The story was of a most vicious ma
ture and connected thebname of Mr.
Baisler with some one in the city al
legged to have been communicate at
his church and a member of the choir
No one has been found who would give
the name of the woman alleged to
have been connected with the story.
There is no doubt but that Mr..
Baisler has some enemies who were
willing to take advantage of the story
and it was widely circulated. Scandal
mongers, reveling in the knowledge
that Baisler was connected with the
clergy, gave the story wings and it
was circulated not only in Kenosha
but in Waukegan, Chicago and other
cities. In some of thesother cities it
was referred to in the newspapers and
brought out in such way that Mr..
Baisler was forced tosseek a vindica-
tion in court.
In citing keenan, tosappear in court
to answerAan action for SANDER Mr..
Baisler is not actuated by a desire to
recover damages but rather with de-
sire to show the 'peop1e of the city that
there is absolutely no foundation for
the story and that it was asfabric Of
lies invented solely for his injury.
Council Vindicates.M Minister
The Rev. Mr.. Bais1er has received
the strongest possible vindication
from the church council of the Grace
English Lutheran church1and at the
request of the council the following
is published:
February 10, 1906.
To THE KENosHAs EvENING News:
We, the council of the Grace Luth-
eran church, feel it our duty to make
this public statement because of the j
scandalous story which has been cir
cnlated concerning our pastor.
After thorough investigation we
have confirmed what we always be-
lieved, that the story is absolutely
without foundation in fact, and was
manufactured by some. evil-nlinded
and vi1e-tongned coward or towards,
who are jealous Of the high positions
and excellent reputation which Rev. /
Baisler has attained in the commun-