The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1917-07-27
TWO ARE UNDER ARREST
II Is Alleged That They Pulled
Guns On Soldier Boys;
.e9e Denial Entered

Emmanuel hospital, having been shot
in the leg by Officer Gregg who cap
tared him, and Backus is languishing
in the city jail.
I Two young ladies Rose G.. Grunnet
and Edna Winters, both of New Ulm
were in the city, on their way to Ely
sian, where they intended to spend
their vacation with friends. 1t was
getting late in the evening, Ind near
the Saulpaugh corner the girls were
accosted it sis said by Johnson and
Baakus, who are said to have invited
them to go out for a stroll. The girls
refused, but the men grew insistent,
| it lis alleged and grabbed them by
the arms. The girls cried out that
they wished to- be let alone. Frank
Capoon of Rochester, Lee White of
LIE Sueur Center and Lester Nelson,
three militia boys, were attracted by
| the disturbance, and came to the res
cue of the girls. Backus it is said pulled
a gun on the militia men, but they
managed to getthe girls, out of harms
way, it is stated, and then notified
the police. The men did not shoot,
it having evidently been their purpose
to Eighteenth militia boys away. r
militia boys notified the police and
pointed the alleged offenders out to
Officer Gregg, who made thrilling
capture He called Halt" at john
son three times and shot in the air
before shooting him in the leg.
Separate complaints were gotten
out this morning at County Attorney
J. w. Schmitt's office. A. F. Johnson
and Carl Backhs were both charged
| in warrants with assault in the sec
ondiIdegree. ISM
Isl Statement BY Gregg.
When interviewed by The Free
Press today Officer Gregg said:
"I met the Soldier boys when they
were coming to the police station to
report, and they gave me a descrip-
ton Of the men, saying they had just
gone down the, depot platform. / fol-
/ lowed them with the boys, and we
went through the railroads yards. We
found them by the Great Western de-
pot and I stopped them, and started
Ito take, them to the police court. We
got as. far, as the Kruse. store, across
the street fromthe police court, when
Johnson broke,4away and ran. I left
/ Backus. with the militia boys, and
started after johnson. shot in the
air twice, and told him to halt three
timsSg and whenhe didn't stop / shot
him I'M the legs He kept ON running,
/; and disappeared back of Landowners
store. I learned afterward that he
lthen went to his room, on North Sec
ond street. reloaded my gun and
returned to the police statfoh, and |
/ hadn't been there, but a few minutes
when DIR. A. Wohlrabe came and
wanted a man to go with him to North
| Second street, where he was called
to attend man who had been shot.
II thought at once that this was my
man, and we went there at once.
When johnson saw the two automo-
biles approaching with myself and A.
| L. volk. the plain clothes man, he ran
out Of the rear, door. stayed in
front of the house and saw him cross
the street, so / caught him again and
took him upstairs where the doctor
dressed is wound, and then took hip
Ito the hospital !, No, Johnson didn't
have much to say"
+ Wound Is Not Dangerous.
Johnson and Backus are both said
to be Of very good families. Johnson
is a railroad man operating in South
! Dakota He used to make his home
in Mankato. Backus is understood
Ito have another name. Herman Barkis.
The is of Sleepy Eye, and is cloth
| ing clerk by trade. Last winter. it is
said, he was manager for a clothing
lstore in Mankato.
Johnsons wound is not dangerous
He was shot through the calf of the
right leg. He ran after being shot
!, to his place of residence on North
fSecond street. There a physician
Twas called up. The police were in
formed where he was, and some Off
fcers went to the house. Johnson
wounded in the leg, made sneak out
the back door, it is said, and gave
the police another chase. Officer
NGregg did not like to shoot him a
second time. At length the fugitive
twas captured without the necessity OF
tputting any mores lead into him.
I johnson was taken to the Emmanuel
Hospital. If the story that he is re-
Fported TO have told, there is true, il
appears that he accosted the wrong
girls. He~is said to have claimed that
Ehe thought he knew the girls. taking
! them for some girls in New Ulm that
/ he did know He is said to have adj
/ mitted that he took hold of one OF
4 both of them. but not roughly.
i Backus or gBarkis denies that he
touched the girls, though he said per-
j haps Johnson did He said he hap
Ipened by the merest chance to be with
johnson. He also denies that he had
a gun. He declared he never carried
a gun in his life.
i 1t is a mixed up affair that will have
| to be sffted out in court, before al
interested persons are satisfied where
the truth lies.
i Backus was this afternoon 'arraign-
led before Judge Plymat of the, NUM-
4 cipal court on the charge of assault
in the second degree. He asked fol-
! an examination, which was set t.
take place on July 80 at.2 p. m. Tiis
j bond was fixed at $1,000. and he SCI
| about making an effort to furnish it
johnson was still at the hospital,