The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1917-10-05
Suspended New Ulm Mayor
Before Inquiry Board
TRIES TO SHIFT BLAME
Puts Holding of Anti Draft Affair
Up TO H. c. Hess of
His City

st. Paul, October 3.-Dr. L. A
Fritsche, ~nspended mayor of New
Ulm, undel close cross examination
today at the state capitol before
Special Commissioner James H. Hall
admitted that he had given tacit ap-
prevail to speeches at the draft protest
meeting at New ..I". ally %, made
by Albert Steinhauc r. H. Retzlaff
DR.. A. Alderman and others. Dr.
Fiitsche, however, insisted that it
was patriotic meeting" and
thought the posters advertising it as
draft protest meeting" had been
misworded.
'But we are not going to accept
your bald statement that this was a
patriotic meeting" said P. ]. Ryan,
prosecuting counsel. do you remem-
Der a statement made at the meet
ing that the boys were being sent
away to fight, but nobody knew what
for?''
Il suppose, having approved of AL
bert Steinhausers speech, I'll have
to approve also of Professor A. A.
Ackermans speech in a general way"
said DR.. Fritsche.
Had No Advanc r Speeches.
The witness said he Lad anticipat-
ed no improper remarks, but he had
no advance ideas of what the speech
es would be except that by Albert
Pfaender. He saw posters advertising
draft protest meeting" he said,
and thought then that they were mis-
worded He insisted that it was a pc
titiOn and not a protest meeting and
that the purpose of these petitions
was embodied in the Mason bill then
pending in congress, but admitted tina,
no reference was made in the petition
to that measure.
His own speech opening the meet
ing, DR.. Fritsche said, was outlined
~ him in collaboration with Albert
Pfaender, also under suspension as
city attorney, was dictated to a
stenographer by Pfaender and then
memorized by DR.. Fritsche.
DR.. Fritsche said that he wished
to avoid any language derogatory to
the government. Pressed further, he
said he might have worded it him
self If he had time. Asked if the pur-
pose of the consultation was to avoid
the letter Of the law, he answered:
"Mr. Pfaender said we were to ex-
plain the draft law and that it must be
obeyed. But it was agreed petition
would be circulated asking congress
to amend the laws so that drafted
men would not be sent abroad to
fight
Peaceful Meeting Planned.
Protesting against being led away
from the purpose of the meeting, DR..
Fritsche reiterated that it was planned
as peaceful and orderly gathering.
He insisted that the meeting would
not have been held if Professor C. H.
Hess, county director for the Public
Safety commission, had not given his
consent to it.
Albert Pfaender was expected to
testify late today in his own behalf.
A. w. Mueller, attorney for County
Auditor Louis G. Vogel of Brown
county, also suspended on like dis
loyalty charges for alleged participa-
ton in the New Ulm meeting, said he
planned today to ask Governor j. A.
A. Burnquist at once to reinstate
Vogel on the ground that the investi-
CATION of his case, now completed,
failed to disclose any evidence to sus-
tain the charge. City Clerk William
Backer of New Ulm is acting county
auditor during VogePs suspension.
Money Withdrawn From Bank.
Representative John w. Book of
Gibbon, who is cashier of a state
bank at that place, testified late yes
terday about the antidraft meeting
held at Gibbon shortly after the New
Ulm meeting, addressed by Albert
Pfaender and F. H. Retzlaff of New
Ulm. He said that before the meet
ing was held German farmer wait
ed on him and told him that he was
'too much against the Germans
that he and others would withdraw
their money from the bank if he did
not change his attitude. Mr.. Book told
how he had sought to prevent the
meeting and how afterward the threat
was carried out and many customers
withdrew their money. He told of AL
bert Pfaender's speech at Gibbon, in
g which he said: 81 am going to do my
oit toward keeping the boys from go
ing to France to fight"
still Against Sending Troops to France
DIR. L. A. Fritsche, testifying late
Yesterday, declared his absolute 10y
alty to the United States, but said he
still favored amending the draft law
so that only those volunteering for
service abroad should go there.
"How can the United States win,"
asked Ambrose Tighe, attorney for
the Minnesota Public Safety commits
sion. without its man power going
into action?"
at takes more than men to win the
war" said Dr. Fritsche. There are
matters of ships and provisiones."
"Nopsense," interrupted Mr.. Tighe.
"The United States can't win with
out putting soldiers in the field"
1--WE wanted to petition congress-"
continued the deposed mayor. "and
then. If our petition was denied. I'd
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