Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-07-19
JIMMY Lyons aCOl
AND PROVED m
Major Conklin illustrates SpI
Mine Workers for War Ser
by Bronx Hero IA
By a sto1 Correspondent

ass NV
When the draft boards and mine ootb6
Of the anthracite region at the conf15 &
here the other night told Major No6t6x$
Conklin, personal representative of rfU>0
Marshal General Crowder. that mine SlaA>
were deserting the region by hundfefa
gong to war, refusing to accept a1fG{
cIassifcation, Major Conklin was rerntn1&4 ~ I:
an incident of the selective draft n X414
YORK city, He told It in soldiers ei1&o ~ X
effective way. MsF$
i was in New York city supervising ~ i
operation of the selective service laW f1ka
Provost Marshal General Crowdef, 1S{
Major Conkin, and had a good many 1l>ffSSj
terestinE experiences One day there Nr<S
lot OF con1motion outside my Office. a Y
ooor was slightly ajar and could see Vnn&s
was happening. young fellow, well buiis t1i
not large dressed in cheap suit with I 010&sl
shirt and necktie. came up and said, loU1F
enough to be heard six or eight blocks; s1Snz$
where's de big cheese around here? Il x&63S
10 see him and want to see him quick 4G6l
Nhat do YOU want to see him Abo1k75
they asked. Y
az want to see him about dis G6raa1if3
business" he yelled, and pounded hfn S6k
on the counter. He was mad clear thf0NH&sF
Somebody asked him. What German u Nj
ness?' r 80 y.'E'eS
"De Main works"
" Look here he growled. want to seo< ~
main works about II and dat's all. zee? @tsS
1T looked as if there was going to ~
trouble SO got up and went out. 111sea
what's the trouble? said
Say. are you de main works.? he as1ka6;a
I said, Well, I'm in charge
We'll he said. I'm Jimmy Lyons ff80t
de Bronx and I want to see you about ~
German business sEsS
=" All right. Jimmy I said you cas, ~ 81
me. but don't get excited and took Ef1S
into my office and we sat down He seSlI51
somewhat relieved. now that he had cot tH4os
touch with the main works Now 41ttrs
MN, Just keep cool and we'll ret ewSf1s.
thins settled all right. What's the matt13s.
He started in complaining about t1oS
German business again and asked r61s
what he meant by it, -
Why damn IT, look here he said, i1|fj
got up on his feet again. I been up IL NIX
local board and dey won't let me into A14s
army / had one Of de first numbers f61&
dey won't let me in. Deyre pickin' en-
friends to go, dats what dey're doing. nv
must have something against me ana mn
to get even dey won't let me 70 in de arnl3Ss
Took 1t Pretty Hard ss,s
Il asked him what reason they gave H.
told me he was four pounds under wo1G& 81
He admitted he was. ] told him the NefHn&f
proposition was rule and he ehou113f3fs
blame the board He took It pretty hae1y Il
We'll, it's funny he said 'Dat's a. Y3y2
dey do in Germany. What difference 1e&43
my weight make7 In Germany dey bout ~
people around and de bosses amt az gDo4sh1
de peope--he was yelling again now-y vi
dat board keeps me out Of de army -aS11J4'
can lick dat whole board myselfH xys.s' MI
We'll. Jimmy said.!'you wait . mlIi&t6
and I'll see what l can do I called up lllt'
local board in the Bronx and got the chllEls
man. DO you know Jimmy Lyons? I asl}f)s
DO we?' lie said YEARLY. You bet ~ ~
He's the most troublesome man in the ~,
trict' Why can't he get into the arNny$4I
asked. He's under weight the cheirnf8S
said. He wants to get in and we want q
let him in but he can't make the Vo1nIk
We've tried feeding him and training M
| and everything think Of ami W0Vl
had him on the scales seven cor eight tinDe&
but nothing doing F1s$S
They Take Chance Il,
We'll. chairman / said 'Jimmy's he1t
and I've been talking to him. see 4Aet
wants to get in pretty bad Now, chair
man said. i wouldn't ask you to violate
any law, but Jimmy's awful anxious Why
don't you take chance? sSs
"'Al right, we will said the chairx1ayl.s
and I told Jimmy to go back and see .hiss
board again. III
Il didn't see him again until / was on the
train taking the first men from New York 10
Camp Upton, was walking along through
the train. | was with General Crowdor. Who
should I see sitting there with the rest Init
Jimmy Lyons. He jumped up and smiled
and saluted me. presented him to 0enerAts
Crowdcr, who said he was glad to meet Nj
Lyons. and Jimmy was as proud and hapVyls
man as you ever saw. s+ss ~+sas
Jimmy, l see you got in said. X4uz
bet. said Jimmy. Much obliged to y4usss
Good luck to you, jimmy said. ana -
went on through the train. - ~: -is
II knew he'd have good luck. Jimmy WAR
the kind Of a fellow that would have hor3
cause Re was always wanting to get htNs3f'
there was tough job to be done Jimmy WA
the kind of Il fellow to ask for it, II Do944se
body had to go to almost certain death JirnQ14
would volunteer If there was a call fofsHees
placement troops when a regiment had hem
cut to pieces Jimmy would jump UP and snf.s
Let me go :fss.
We'll he had luck. too. just the lucktfQts
suit him | guess. Two or three weeks Arc IL.
picked up General Pershngs report Aa0s
there was Jimmy Lyons killed In actioh'fsa