Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1917-10-04
REFUSE TO FIGHT
Mennonite Colony in Kansas
Prefers Death to Taking
Part i'm War.
SEND MESSAGE TO GOVERNOR
Bible Quoted to Show Their Religious
ScrupIes-War Department Motif
fled of Situation.

The Mennonites of Meade county
have called for showdown They
served notice recently that under no
circumstances would they take up
arms in this war, even IL failure to
do so meant the death penalty for
them. The matter was brought to-
focus when the government forcibly
took two young Mennonites, who had
been drafted, and sent them to Camp
Funston. There are still twenty three
more young Mennonites in the Meade
county colony subject to draft. The
whole colony is up in arms.
In a message to Governor Capper
the elders of the church pointed out
the tenets of their creed, which for
bids them entering war. They said:
Now in regard to the text of our
faith of religion we cannot go and
serve while Jesus saying to St Peter,
Put the sword in the sheath ST.
John 1911, and by Matthews 5, verse
A, Il say unto you love your enemies,
bless them that curse you, do good
to them that hate you and pray for
them which despitefully use you and
prosecute you, that you may be chill
dren of your father which is in
heaven
Now this organization has stood
112 years. the so-called Mennonite
Kliene Gemeinde under these rules
and regulations and we have tried to
live up to this all that was in our
power We have tried to help the
poor people in every way we can. We
have tried to live quiet and peaceful
with every man. We don't go to law
We also don't allow our members to
have or carry any arms or guns. We
have collected $500 for the Red Cross.
We are willing to do all we can for
the government in as far as it is not
against our belief and, therefore,
would lovingly beg you, Mr.. Capper,
that you will do all you can for us to
the President as we cannot overstep
GoIs word and should we be forced
to we would have to go in the death
with Gods help
Governor Capper promised to pass
the message on to the war department
for a ruling.
Dynamite Cap Injuries Boy.-L1oyd
Richardson, the 9-year-old son of Mr..
and Mrs. J. A. Richardson of Winfield.
suffered the loss. of virtually all of
his left hand when a dynamite cap
which he picked up on the Country
Club golf course exploded. His face
was also badly burned
Child Killed by Motor.-Myra NJ.
Moon, s years old, returning from
school near Tisdale with her two
small brothers and other children, was
struck by motor car driven by J. A.
Mcclure of independence and died
soon after in Winfield hospital.
x
UphoIds Kansas Board.-The First
district appeal board has received de-
cisions by the President on seven ap-
peals from the board in Topeka. 1t
was the first announcement of rulings
by the President in cases from Kan
sas. All decisions upheld the board.
X x
Arrest Mennonite as Deserter.-
George A. Claussen, a Mennonite of
Meade county, refused to entrain for
service on religious grounds and was
arrested by Sheriff Krisel as a de-
serter and taken to Fort Riley.
x *
Foreign Blood Sends Quota.-Rus-
quota to the war recently. Business
and schools suspended and citizens
and a band escorted the men to the
depot after feast at the church. Ger
mans and Russians were noticeably
patriotic.
Little Profit for Robbers-Thieves
entered the Hallowell postoffice some
time the other night. The office was
thoroughly ransacked, but the amount
of the loot was only fifty-one cents.
+ =
The Real Labor Goat-Frank Ash
croft, a farmer, has obviated the scar
city of harvest hands by utilizing six
goats in his silos to trample down the
silage One man handles the distribu-
ton and the goats do the rest.
y x X
Sympathy Strike at Wichita.-Wells
Fargo express men, freight handlers
and wagon men went out on strike,
and it was announced that men at the
other express offices likely would not
report for work The strike is in SYM
patty with the movement at Kansas
City
Stolen Sugar Breaks Wagon.-Twen-
ty-six 100-pound sacks of stolen cane
sugar valued at $3.50 a sack, were
found by the police of Wichita on a
wagon which had broken down in the
street Bloodstains near the wagon
- klx.t .sfh he