The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1918-01-11
Injected Bad Meningitis Germs
Into the Soldiers
ANGER AT FORT HICKS
Fellow Finally Admitted That
He Had Been Offered Big
Sum of Money
From Mondays Daily.


turned from their trip to Texas Sat-
urday evening. They had pleasant
trip throughout and found the weather
in the south pleasant, and while
Texas had a touch of the cold SNAP
we had here last week, it was not at
all severe says The Madelia News.
Their visit to Camp Hicks. the avi-
ton camp at Fort Worth, where
Lieutenant George Noonan is sta
toned, was interesting. George is
now trying for a first lieutenancy and
will probably be given that rank in
short time. The outfit expects or
ders within few days to go east and
the trip overseas will follow at no dis
tant date.
Messrs. Noonan and Slattery found
much that was novel and full of in
terest about the aviation camp, but
even in the short time they were
there became so accustomed to the
sight of aeroplanes in operation that
they wouldn't trouble to look up.
While they were there one of the fly
ers, millionaire's son from New
York, essayed his first trip aloft with
out companion and fell several
thousand feet, killing him instantly
and leaving his plane shapeless
mass of wreckage. Joe brought a
piece of metal home with him that
he picked up on the scene of the
wreck--a piece of the engine case,
made of aluminium. He also got an
other souvenir, bit Of the linen used
in the wings, of the wrecked machine
The unfortunate young man had made
fine progress in the flying art, having
made most successful flight in the
morning with an instructor and had
done a number of difficult stunts, but
something must have gone wrong
while he was on his fight alone.
Indignation In Camp.
There was great Indignation in the
camp at Fort Worth while the visit
ors were there over the developmnt
of dastardly bit of German dirty
work uncovered in the camp while
Messrs. Noonan and Slatterly were
there. 1t seems there had been a
pronounced epidemic of spinal menin-
gifts in the camp that mystified the
surgeons, but it was finally noticed
that the meningitis in every instance
followed the vaccination of the men
for typhoid. This clue led to a
painstaking investigation and the sus-
picion of the surgeons centered on one
of the medical men. Analysis of the
typhoid vaccine disclosed the pres
ence of meningitis germs and ac-
counted for the epidemic When &C
cused of tampering with the vaccine
the suspected surgeon, who was an
American without any German ante
cedents. finally admitted that he had
been offered $4,000 by representa-
tive of the German government to
stay in camp a month and introduce
the meningitis germs into the vac
cine.
Fellow Was Tempted.
He succumbed to the temptation
There were a number of deaths
as a result and many manned for life
What his punishment was, Mr.. Noon
an did not learn but he should have
been shot without any ceremony
Lieutenant Noonan told his father oil
a fellow caught tampering with the
planes at Leaside Camp, Canada
while George was there this summer
in such way that they broke and
got out of control, killing several o.
the boys, and when finally he was
caught at his nefarious business he
| lived just eight minutes. Some such
speedy justice should be adopted by
| the American army, and let it be
known that such a fate awaited any
who tried to "pull anything in the
| future.
There was squad of Canadian fly
ers training at Camp Hicks, and the
visitors saw English and French Off
GERS there who are assisting in the
training. Since Lieutenant NoonaI
reached Camp Hicks he has made one
fight of 800 miles, from Fort Worth
to Columbus, New Mexico. Their,
were seven machines in the squadron
that made the trip and they averaged
about 100 miles an hour on this fight
making it without STOP