The Mankato free press., 1917-11-02
Lester Prairie Was Terror
lied, So Story Relates
SEVERAL FOLK MOBBED
Hotel Keeper Is Attacked and
Woman Terribly Burned
With Acid
From Tuesdays Daily.

from tuesdays Daily.
Application for the appointment of
a special prosecutor to press charges
to be brought against twelve men at
Lester Prairie, before the Mcleod
county grand jury, which meets in
November, was made today to At
torney General Lyndon A. Smith by
Max Klatt, Lester Prairie, says The
Minneapolis Journal.
In making this application, Klatt
revealed the most remarkable story
that has come to the attention of the
state officials in years.
A masked gang who, from evidence
from men who refused to join them,
were pledged to secrecy, he declared,
attacked the hotel owned and operated
by the klatt family at Lester Prairie
the night of July Is, beat Hugo Klatt
to an almost unrecogniZable pulp,
threw burning acid on his oldest sis
ter which has disfigured her for life,
and bombarded Max Klatt and two
other sisters with bad eggs and acid,
and almost wrecked the house by
throwing stones through the windows.
They were only restrained from doing
more serious violence to the family by
the appearance of Julius Klatt, the
father, with shotgun.
Gives Up the Story.
This story is supported in it's entirety
by an affidavit sworn to by William A.
Baumann, confessed member of the
shortly after the attack and who was
found working in powder plant at
Washburn, Wis, by Detective John Hoy
of the Hoy Detective bureau, Mnneap-
oils. He made a complete confession,
according to Hoy, and will turn states
evidence in the coming prosecution.
His affidavit impli Gated in this attack a
number of the most prominent men at
Lester Prairie.
Compelled Banker to Leave.
1t was this same gang, Baumann con-
forced HI. j.. Heneman, a leading Lester
Prairie banker, to leave the village
through threats of death and who have
been responsible for number of out
How completely have the members of the
gang succeeded in terrorizing the vicin-
ity of Lester Prairie, Klatt told the at
torney general today. that persons who
have aroused their enmity are afraid
to leave their homes after dark. Most
of the men named by Baumann are Ger
mans.
What Travelling Men Say.
In addition to the testimony of Bau-
mann, number of travelling men, some
of them fr om Minneapolis, will give to
timony. One of them declared today he
was sure that the thugs would have
murdered the family if the father had
not appeared with a shotgun. A farmer
two miles .fway heard the screams and
hurried TO the scene. All the lights in
the village had been turned off, Klatt
declared, and although the screams could
be heard all over the village, the mar
shal did not appear.
Gang Held Sway.
"This gang has so terrorized the vii
lage that the officials are afraid to take
any action against them,'' said Klatt to-
day. County Attorney McNally said
he would bring a charge of assault
against them when the grand jury met
but refused to hold them for a prelim-
mary hearing. My sister is terribly
burned by the acid thev threw and my
brother was almost beaten to death Ev-
cry window in the hotel was broken by
the rocks thew threw"
II. ]. Heneman. the banker who was
forced to sell his interests at Lester
Prairie. because, it is declared, he was
too outspoken in his support of the gov
ernment in the war, was burned in ef-
fgy by this same gang. Klatt declared.