The Mankato free press., 1918-06-21
CITzENRY Of SAINT
peter PUT Up fines
Stood By Men Who Ripped
Indie Banners From Cars
Hailed INTO THE COURT
Almost Riot Occurred When
Young Man From This City :.
Was Attacked

Arrested on a charge of disorderly
conduct, after tearing banners from
autos driven and occupied by Nonpar-
tisan leaguers, and shouting ana
cheering on the streets OF st. Peter,
six Mankato men were brought pc
fore Justice E. E. Miller of that city
late yesterday and four of them SEN
fenced to pay fines of $40 each. This
included costs, the total amount the
men were obliged to pay being $40.
st. Peter business men and patriotic
citizens of the town did not approve
of the sentence.
1--WE can't allow Mankato to show
us up in the matter of patriotism,
one of them stated. last night. Before
line o'clock last evening the entire
$40 had been raised by businessmen,
come subscribing as much as $5 to-
ward paying back the money the
Mankato men were obliged to pay to
the court.
The men from this city who were
hailed into the justice court were:
Nelson Kesler, William Aldo, Leo
Glennan, and William Walsh. These
men were fined $40 each. Hugh
James and Frank Dalton were brought
before the justice but were acquitted.
Walsh and Kesler paid their fines
Immediately and were released. Alb
do and Glennan did not have the
money with them but travelling
salesman, who stated that he had
headquarters in Mankato, stepped for
ward and paid their fines. The men
were arrested and the charge of dis
orderly conduct brought against them
by Officer 2 X. Erickson of ST. Peter.
Request of Nonpartisan.
Last Monday morning when the st.
Peter council met members of the
Nonpartisan league appeared before
them and asked to be allowed to meet
in German park at St. Petnr = We'd
i,esday. The council agreed providing
no speeches or campaign talks were
made at the meeting About noon
yesterday the Nonpartisan cars,
which succeeded in passing through
Nankato, arrived in ST. Peter and
proceeded Immediately to German
YArh. Police officers state that there
was no resentment or disorder shown
by the ST. Peter people. After their
luncheon at the park the leaguers
asked permission to have the band
play on the main street in st. Peter.
This was refused. The procession of
cars then drove down and parked in
the middle of the street, the owners
remaining in the machines or shop
ping In the stores.
The cars had been there but a few
minutes when the delegation from
Mankato arrived on the scene. 1t is
said that there were four cars from
this city and one from Kasota. The
machines swooped down on each side
of the street and men standing on the
running boards ripped off all the Nom
partisan banners they could reach on
the machines that stood parked in
the middle of the thoroughfare. Non
partisans rushed from the stores and
shouted threats at the men.
"If you don't like it come and show
us what you can do" the men taunt
ed az they drove on up the street
Four Of the machines drove straight
on out of st. Peter and were not seen
again during the afternoon. The fifth
car, driven by Hugh James was cut
off by Two Nonpartisan cars driving
in, front of it and obliged to turn
around and go back down the street
There were eight men in this car.
Told Men to Leave Town.
When they got part way down the
street Officer Ericsson cautioned the
Some Of the party made replies and
Erickson then told them they were al
under arrest for disorderly conduct
At this juncture julius Schmitt, {
leaguer living near Nicollet arrived
on the scene and with another Non
PARTISAN accused Nelson Kesler oil
having torn down an American flag
Kesler denied the charge. Hot word.
followed and Schmitt struck Kesler
A pitched battle followed and the
police had difficulty in keeping othe
Mankato men out of the fray Whel
the two men were separated Kesle
seemed none the worse for the fra
Cas-, but Schniitt had a badly cut lii
and several Of his teeth were knock
ed loose He asserted that he woul,
have Kesler arrested for tearing dow
an American flag. AS far as i
known, however, no such action ha
been taken. The men were all tax
city justice at once.
OFFICER Erickson stated last nigh
that he did not arrest the men 70
tearing of banners but that their con
duct was disorderly and that the
drove their machine in a careles
manner that endangered others O
the street. st. Peter people general
ly favored the young men and tn
common opinion was that if st. Pete
had not lost so many young men i
the service of the country the Man
kato men would have met ready as
distance. A number of cars were i
st. Peter, parked on the main stree
last. evening, bearing Lindbergh ban
ners but they appeared to excite Iii
tie more than passing glance.
1t is reported that when the parad
Of autos passed through North Man
kato yesterday morning one of tn
cars carried a German flag at tn
sfront end of the car and an America
flag az the rear.
Raised Fine Money.
St Peter citizens were said thi
morning to have raised money enoug
\ to pay the fines imposed upon th
Mankato men yesterday John ]
Johnson, chairman of the st. Pete
Burnquist club. headed a list to rails
the money and was followed by Her
ry Nelson and Richard Maltby TIL
zines of Aldo and Glennan were pal