The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1917-09-14
Colonel Is Reported to Have
Stirred Up Some Mess
HOT Time IN OLD TOWN
E. K. Clements Declares That
Certain Brief Conversation
Did Take Place
From Tuesdays Daily.

! From tuesdays Daily.
! There is some tempest at Faribault.
! That conservation city is all stirred
I up. The following story from The
Faribault News Republican of Sept. s
gives something of an idea of why the
, folks over there" are angry:
"A city wide commotiOn has been
caused by report to the effect that
Colonel MolliSon had refused to per-
NIT the Second regiment band to turn
out when the first contingent of seven
conscripted men started for Camp
Dodge yesterday. -
! Colonel Mollison today stated that
he did not refuse to permit the band
to go, but that he had put the matter
of q troop escort for the seven men
to the company commanders, and that
! the Machine Gun company was sent
by Captain Chase to the Rock Island
station .-..-
! at was stated by Colonel Mollison
that he declined to order the band or
companies to go, prefering that II
company commanders should settle it
for themselves. The band is part of
the headquarters company. In each
case, the colonel said. the captains
were held to be the proper persons to
decide the matter, and the best judges
of whether it would interfere with
their regular work.
Colonel Mollison has been charged
with having said, when requested to
have the soldiers and band turn out
that the seven men knew the way to
the depot, that they did not require
an escort, that he was not interested
in their departure and that he did not
know of anybody else who was Col
onel Mollison this afternoon author
lied The News-Republican to make
denial for him of having made any
such statements, that he had absolute
ly no feeling in the matter, and if the
other company commanders had found
it possible for their men to go to the
station it of course would have been
perfectly all right with him." 1
Here's Another Version.
The News-Republican of September
10 contains this interesting tale:
Gin connection with the article
printed in Saturdays paper with ref
erence to the failure to secure the
escort of the Second Regiment band,
The News Republican today received
the following statement from Dr. E. K.
Clements, president of the soldiers
welfare board:
editor News-Republican: To be
sure that there is no disposition on
my part to shift responsibility, the
column in your last Saturday even
ing's, September 8, issue headed
Colonel Denies Having Feeling About
Conscript' needs little attention. Two
of the statements denied, namely,
first that he was not interested in the
departure of the seven men drawn
and sent to Camp Dodge, and, second,
that they knew the way to the depot,
came from me as nearly every one
knows and as Colonel Mollison knows.
after hearing to my surprise that
the companies were not likely to honor
these men, and seven better men were
never chosen for the service of Uncle
Sam, as president of the soldiers
welfare board, / felt it up to me to
make sure and l did not know of a
more appropriate place to go than to
Colonel Mollison. The following tele-
phone conversation was the result:
1906 please ha. 81
Good morning, colonel, how are
you this morning.
"'Feeling fine
"'This is Clements
eyes, DOCTOR
Colonel. don't you think it would
be nice to have the band and COM
panies escort the drawn men from the
court house to the depot this morning?'
Gam not at all Interested
"'But colonel, 1 don't think it is
right ~ a ,g
"'They know the way to the depot
But colonel, you are wrong
No, am not. They had chance
To- kiTt!ll
Good bye, colonel
Goodbye, DOCTOR
"This statement fatty denies part of
the statements accredited to Colonel
Mollison in your issue of Saturday
evening, but the facts are as / have
stated them, and I am willing to make
affidavit if anyone questions them
E. K: Clements" SAN 4,
1t is reported that the captains of