Deutscher herold. [volume] (Sioux Falls, SuÌˆd-Dakota) 1907-1918, 1917-08-09

City of Des Moines
Department of Public Affairs
John MacVicar, Mayor


Des Moines, Ia, July Goth, 1917.
Mr.. Hans Demuth,
President Herold Publ. Co.,
Sioux Falls, s. D
Dear Sir:
Answering your letter of July 18th
to the Mayor, beg to advise you that
we have been unable to ascertain
whether Little Mary is in Dcs
Moines. We have never heard of her
before
Yours very truly
Frank S. Jeffries
Secretary.
The city of Des Moines never heard
of - Little Mary before If ''Serpeant
/ Brec kenrldge' could produce "I.ittle
Mary with 'both hands cut off by
brutal german Swine' he would not
need to deliver any more speeches. The
very appearance of the girl would Just
Iy set the whole country in fire and no
other patriotic appeals would be neces.
lsary IN order to raise millions for the
American Red Cross and to substantiate
the " horrible german atrocities.
But Des Moines never heard of
Little Mary before and no other
city we feel sure either.
We understand that he also made a
similar address before the Commercial
Club In Omaha, Nebr, and that he
changed somewhat his story about
- Little Mary. To his hearers in
Omaha, we are told, he stated that he
had adopted the girl, "that she STAYED
on has farm in Iowa, and that She lost
her both hands for ridiculing german
soldiers marching by
In connection herewith I take liberty
to quote an American Red Cross Doctor
Dr. II, Matthey of Davenport, Iowa. He
made after his return to the y. S. A.
and after a two years service in the
war zone the following statement
on March 4, 1917, before the Ethical
Society Of Davenport l refer to the
same especially since he related story
similar to the one told by "Sergeant
DIR. Matthey states:
1T is therefore a fact of paramount ,
weight that American journalists pre-
sent in the war zone as corras,o,aa,.o
for great newsnaners caraf,,Il,, ;,,,,os4; ,
gated these stories and vvoro nooh1o +o
find single instance in which an o+ro. /
,ity had been committed nv Cernan
hands. Also lady from ST Toni. :,
whom numerous tales of ontraoao boa
,een recounted - amono otbors +ho+ .
German of,icor bol ohor,,>5,.7 .a
# sixteen-vear-old BeIu;an o;rI
ook pains to thoronuhlv fan,;l;or;,.
lerself with tha facts of tbos ooso Gu,
ound the girl in oucstion and bar mo
her in a farm home and interviewed J
hem both The GIRL had in trn+b Lost t
hand and stated that German otf;cer j
vas responsible for her deformi+v RI.
he story she told was full of contra l
lotions and when she was assured that /
er interviewer was an American and {
hat she need not hesitate to tell the t
ruth about the matter, she broke down 0
nd confessed that three days before
be Germans arrived the hand had been
roShed IN treshlng machine. A high e
el'0 u INFLAMMATION hau already ?
.',,l " u i''''D 0'''''l' oh 4
u ds'ns eApeultlon' saw her condition a
"'~9N 'No "a se"t h0eu OF help'
~ MS regiment at once .
'"o 'u' Sooh' "no III oFuer 20
Aipu'"'eo In9 u
}e'
40 ."No uP again sergeant u
90 "Ho 40 ne' AS DC v
'',A ''0i'''' = ''N 20 NAH from DaVen-
- - =" A0""' We n0' oniy Secureo reliable 81
-, h,,4 o1.o euu, -..~
,i;ou ,,,;th 49, - t, ~
;+u &c 49, Couot,a ,T P''0" =,
'"o puo'A'nei u 'n0 ,
~ W % - son''eni"n % honoF'
l''' '"0 un0'' isneu pelSonaliy knows ~
y"'' gave ioii'"Ans III -,
s as, ~ N'' ''"n'ia'eo 'et'ef r.
p"6o' VIC qu0'o ou' /.