The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1917-06-22
Charles Behrens, Travelling
Man of st. Louis, Held for
Peace Disturbance,
DID NOT BELIEVE CRUEL
ACTS TOLD BY SPEAKER
Crowd Follows Prisoner to City
Jail-TO be Tried this Morn.
ing in Police Court.

Considerable excitement was created
during the speech made by William
H. Stubblefeld Jr., at the mass meet
ing of the Red Cross, when Charles j
Behrens, travelling salesman of st
Louis. interrupted the speaker while
he was relating the stories he hao
read about the cruelties committed by
the Germans upon the Belgians. Many
of the audience followed the party OF
men who, in company with Police,
man Hutson, took the man to the city
Jail, leaving only a few at the Court
house Park, where the meeting was
held.
While the speaker told of the cruel
ties committed by the Germans on in
nocent Belgian children, relating how
they had severed their hands and Grip
pied them in other ways, Mr.. Behrens
exclaimed: 81 just can not believe
that" A commotion followed and sew
eral in the audience seized him and
turned him over to Policeman Hutson,
who was in the park near the speakers
stand.
He was taken to the city Jail and de-
tanned until Chief Whitener was sum-
.noned. After hearing the circum-
stances, the chief decided to place a
charge of general disturbance against
the prisoner. The latter was then re-
leased on a S1OO bond signed by DR..
l.. F. Popp, who has known Behrens
for many years.
Mr.. Behrens told a reporter of The
Tribune the horrors as described by
the speaker were of such brutality that
he could not believe it possible that
any civilized man would resort to such
cruel acts as to cut an innocent child's
hand off. at Mortified me So" he said,
"that l just could not suppress the
thought prompted by what l heard.
My feeling was of that kind which any
man with heart would have, when
hearing such a story"
w. Palmer Oliver. and Mercer D.
Wilson. who were near Mr.. Behrens,
told The Tribune Mr.. Behrens address
ed the speaker as he told what he read
about the treatment of the Belgians,
saying "You do not believe that"
A crowd closed in on the man and
held him till the policeman arrived.
Mr.. Oliver said the prisoner made
an attempt to run from the park after
making the remark, but this was de-
MED by Mr. Behrens. He said he could
not listen to the story any longer and
wanted to walk off, but had no inten-
tion to run away. "In fact" he said
m could not imagine what could
prompt the men to have me arrested
for making the remark accredited to
me. l just could not believe the story
told by Mr.. Stubblefeld."
A big crowd followed the prisoner
and the men who accompanied him to
the city Jail. Upon their arrival at
the Jail, Mr.. Oliver insisted that the
man be put in a cell, but the latter
refused to go before making a state
ment to Chief Whitener. During the
scuffle that ensued, the prisoners coat
was badly torn.
When Chief Whitener arrived at the
station the prisoner was permitted tc
make statement, and the chief de,
cided to hold him for disturbing the
peace, in view of the fact that many
of the audience who had been neal
Mr.. Behrens bore out his statement
and in view of the fact that several
well-known men of the city intercedec
for the prisoner.
/ Mr.. Behrens who represents a lum
ber firm of st. Louis has been in the
city for several days taking orders fol
the firm. He is well known in the city
and the news of his arrest caused {
number of business men of the city
to call at the station to vouch for hi.
character and his loyalty to the coun
try.
i He will be tried this morning on th'
charge of disturbing the peace befor,
Police Judge Fristoe.