The diamond drill., 1917-08-04
PEDDDLERs TAKING CENSUS.
Vendors of Court Plaster Accused OF
Ennumerating Pro-Germans.

| comes 10 your door OHtTluB W SCH
you any kind OF wares, but especial
ly court plaster. Reports come from
Menominee county that the vendors
Of this kind OF material are acting in
so suspicious q manner that the au-
thorities have taken up their trail
and a close investigation Is being
made.
Mr. Clinton Smith hands US a pa
per received from his home town OF
Carmi, H., which contains highly
interesting story Of the work OF
party OF peddlers in that town that
is highly interesting and indicative
OF the means being taken to spy up
on the people OF this nation. The
Carmi article follows:
These six foreigners reached Edo
RADIO last Saturday, travelling in an
old worn-out Ford automobile. Short
ly after their arrival they began to
dispose of their wares, which con-
sisted OF court plasters and laundry
soap. Several people in that city and
vicinity bought some of the plasters
and soap and II Is said that after one
man there had used the soap his
| hands, arms and face began TO swell
and it was feared he would die.
Some of the soap found in their
possession was said 60 be all right
while other cakes. which they had
doctored contained poison Two Of the
men finally called at one of the
banks in Eldorado to try to cash
forged check. While in the bank the
men became engaged in a quarrel, as
each seemed TO claim that the money
was coming to him The cashier IN
the bank became suspicious that
something was wrong and refused 20
cash the check The men seemed al
most ready to fight each other, and
one of them threatened TO call an Of
fcer. One Of the men walked away
from the bank and went down the
street and the other five jumped i'm
to their car, and in an attempt 10
overtake the man and place him un
der arrest. but when they came mp 70
where he was standing he jumped in
to the car and they AT made hasty
retreat out of town
"The deputy sheriff notified the
sheriff OF the incident, and in com
pany with other officers they started
in pursuit Of the peddlers.
at Equality the sextette OF German
peddlers and spies were overtakeu
and were at once placed under arrest
In making a search of their personal
effects it was found that one Of their
suit cases contained false bottom
and in this was found passports for
the six men, signed by German ofIic-
falls. as we'll as other papers which
they had received from Germany
The automobile was left at Equality
and the six prisoners taken to Har-
risburg and placed in Jail The of
ficers told the man at Equality who
owned the garage that he could place
the peddlers' machine in his garage
and hold il for a bill which they
owed him. but he was afraid 10 have
anything to do with the car, fearing
il might contain dynamite.
These men no doubt belong to the
same bunch who were arrested IN
Mt. Carmel last week and were sell
ing court plasters and are now being
held i'm Jail in that city 10 await the
arrival OF the federal officers. Sew
eral of them were in Carmi last Fri
day and succeeded in selling some of
the plasters.
"As soon as the people al Eldorado,
Wassoon and other points in Saline
county learned that the soap and
plasters contained poison they threw
the stun away
what makes the affair look so sus-
picious is the fact that these agents
peddling court plasters and soap arc
discovered In various parts of the
country at the same time The FIRST
discovery was made at Kansas City
where one death Is already reported
They are nothing more than German
spies and should be treated accord
ingly by being done away with.
"The best advice we can give our
people and especially to housewives
Is to buy nothing whatsoever from
peddlers or strangers"
The Menominee story taken from
the Herald-Lcader, Is as follows:
"The United States district attor
unty otd1J no ksodorot snprat epryfgas