New Ulm review., 1913-05-07
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that it was some Englis b missionary
who did not understand the German
language and the customs OF the peo'
pie and unintentionally or otherwise
spread the story that Christ had been
burned in effigy. This glaring false.
hood vas exposed at the time and the
incident had been completely forgot
ton until now when it has been again
dug up and is being distorted by Billy
Sunday.
Mr.. Berndt tells the Review that the
Cincinnati company lived up to its
agreement so far as building the mill,
but failed to pay the working men.
Money 10 those days was as scarce as
hons teeth and the men who had done
the work in the mill applied to the exc.
cntive committee, then still located in
Cincinnati, for their hard-earned
money. A Mr.. Fischer was then presi'
dent of the committee and 10 a CON-
munication addressed to the citizens
he informed them that Lot cent would
they receive. To make matters worse
q poem was enclosed with the CON-
municstion which pokeG fun at the
settlers and their efforts.
This incensed the early pioneers q
great deal and the suggestion by Sur
veyor Carl Prignitz that they have q
mock funeral of the high and mighty
Fischer to show how thoroly they we're
disguised with his attitude met with q
hearty response. MIR. Prignitz pre-
pared notices on strips OF paper three
inches wide and about four feet long
which he printed with his private
printing outfit, the only one in the
town. Among other information, the
notices contained the names OF the
executive committee and notified the
people that the funeral of President
Fischer would take place at q certain
hour from the store of Adolph Setter
which was located where the Dakota
House now stands.
MIR. Berndt smiled when he Informed
the Review reporter how artistically
the eftigy of President Fischer had
been prepared for burial, reclining on
ladder 8 feet long which was placed
on two tables. The figure was adorned
with a sash on which we're printed the
words "President Fischer" Steimle
was present with his band and to the
strains Of funeral dirge the pro-
cession wended its way to Turner Hall.
All the neighboring towns we're repre-.
sented, there being about ~ present
from Milford alone. Some Of the
mourners wore frock coats and stove
pipe hats, relics of better days.
Arrived at Turner Hall, Henry kompe,
who had been a member OF the German
Reichstag in the year ls47 was called
upon to deliver the funeral sermon.
He refused to do so, saying that the
scoundrel wasn't worth funeral
address and suggested that the etfigy
be burned. At that time an addition
WAS being built to Turner Hall to be
used for school purposes and the
place was literally filled with shavings
and pieces of lumber. These we're
rapidly gathered into pile, the efigy
placed on top of it and a match was
set to it. There was no disturbance OF
any kind, the whole affair being
arranged solely for the purpose OF
showing the executive committee wha
little regard the settlers had for them
Mr.. Berndt is the only eye witness
that the Review reporter has been
able to find. AS the affair happened
as early as the spring of 1858, the
Review had trouble to find any one
else who had any positive knowledge
ofthis incident. Some of those inter.
viewed had never even heard about 1t.
Others who had heard about it, did
not hesitate to characterize the
mouthings of Billy Sunday as bare.
faced lies.
In his preface to the history of the
Indian Outbreak entitled THE Indians
Revenge" Rev. Alexander Berghold,
a Catholic priest, who had lived in
New Uim great number of years and
had every opportunity to learn the
facts, says, among other things: