Mexico weekly ledger., 1918-03-07
Deane on the Stand

On the stand Deane said that be was
born in Vermont in 1868, and moved to
Massachusetts,, where he finished
high school. Then he entered a col
lege in Maine. He received a degree
as doctor Of medicine. He later en-
tered seminary and obtained a per-
NIT to preach in the Methodist Epis-
copal Church, although he had never
finished the course. After this he
moved to Seattle, where he was pastor
of number of churches. He started
in the mining business, and took a
course in the Colorado School of Mines
and in the University of Illinois,
which he did not complete. He said
that he had financed the equipment of
six mines by sales of stock. He went
to Mexico to promote the sale of stock
in the Western Oil Company.
He said that on June 5, when the
registration was in progress, he at
tended a celebration at Columbia, Mo-,
where he delivered an address to 1000
persons and in which he dwelt on the
advisability Of everyone in the coun-
try supporting the President in his
conduct of the war. He also remarked
in his speech that although the meet
ing was being held in the Court House
that a picture Of the President was alb
sent as was an American flag. He
denied he had advised a rebellion of
the drafted men, and said that he had
induced several men in the vicinity Of
Mexico to enlist in the army and navy
and had assisted them morally and
financially.
Homer Hall, attorney for Deane,
asked that the case be dismissed on
the ground that the indictment charg-
ed Deane with having obstructed the
draft and that the government was at
tempting to show that he had at
tempted to obstruct the draft. His re-
quest was denied by Judge Dyer, who
said that the law stated plainly that
anyone who attempted to defeat the
purpose of the draft or hindered the
enlistment of men was guilty of vio-
lation of the act.
William Otis johnson, a private in
the 138th Infantry, Camp Doniphan,
Ok, testified in Judge Dyer's Federal
Court in St. Louis Thursday that E.
j. Deane of Mexico, Mo-, on trial for
violating the espionage act, told him
last June he could put "dope" in his
eyes so he wouldn't pass the physical
tests of his draft board.
81 met Deane casually in the HoX-
sew Hotel at Mexico" johnson said
"and he said to me he thought | was
too fine a young man to be drafted
and then he made the suggestion about
the done" johnson did not submit to
the treatment, however, and enlisted
August 5, last.
Deane was indicted on the charge OF
offering to use the drug on johnson
and also on a charge of having sale
on July 6, 1917;
"The best way for boys who are
drafted to do, is to make open rebel
lion after they have reached the place
where they are to take the ship
across the water, and when they al
have arms and ammunition Thel
thew can shoot their officers"
Homer Hall, Deane's attorney, de
scribed his client, who is said to be 5
wears old, as a minister, "who ha
preached the gospel and as more re
Gently as an oil stock salesman
Hall denied that his client mad
the alleged remarks.
Henry Precht of Mexico SAID ina
after the draft registration on June
Deane had sympathized with him be
cause his son was of the draft age, an
told him that he could keep Carl, tn
son, out of the army.
S. ]. Bovine, of Centralia, Mo- mex
was called. He said Deane was taiK
ng in restaurant in that town las
June and that Deane suggeste
American soldiers ought to mutin
and kill their officers.
ale said we wouldn't need to los
lots of our boys if they would 90 VIVA
he would tell them, and that the
needn't go to war;" Bovine testilieu
Bovine said he had known Deane as
former Mormon preacher, docto
whose license had been revoked an
as an oil stock salesman.
{ Andrew Sturgeon, of Centralia, coo
in the restaurant where the allege
conversation took place, sad the coi
, versation came up during a talk aoot
, the Lusitania.
"Deane said all ships that crosse
the ocean over there ought 10 I
i, sunk" Sturgeon testified "he sal, u,
= we have no business over there, Il
said too, that if the boys rebelled an
@ killed their officers, and then starte
n trouble and war at home they wouI
e not need to go across"
/ Sturgeon was asked IL he consi'
r cred Deane's utterances pro-German
"No, / think he just was running o.