Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1918-10-10
CLEARING UP
SERIOUS TANG[E
{From Mondays daily.)

The case of l.. H. Hill, proprietor
of the Warren at Baraboo, wrongly
arresting Henry Oetzman at Ableman,
is being cleared up.
On Saturday, September %, Serg-
cant G. Macdonald Canadian soldier
who has gone over the top in France,
spoke in BarabOo for the fourth Lib
erty loan. After he had completed his
address, L. H. Hill started with him
for a village west Of La Valle, where
the officer expected to speak. They
stopped at Ableman. The information
is that in the village they entered a
saloon where drinks were had.
1t is also said the saloonkeeper did
not desire to sell liquor to the soldier,
but that Mr.. Hill showed his star and
the saloonkeeper got the impression
he was talking to United States Off
GER At any rate the drinks were had,
and this led to trouble. Before leaving
Ableman Mr.. Hill met Henry Oetz-
man and gained the impression that
Mr.. Ooetzman was for the kaiser He
placed him under arrest, took his nat
uralization papers from him and car
ried him to La Vale. On Sunday an
officer at La Valle brought Mr. Oetz-
man to District Attorney James Fl.
Hill at Baraboo, where Mr.. Oetzman
told what had happened. Mr.. Ooetz-
man was taken to his home at Able
man by the district attorney and
Sheriff William Welk in the car Of
Justice Adolph andre.
The district attorney decided the
case was out of his jurisdiction and
notified the Unied States officials.
There was a disposition to attempt
to keep the matter quiet for several
reasons, one being the fourth liberty
loan, but it has been decided to make
plain statement of the facts.
Some months ago L. H. Hill be-
came a member of the American Pro
tective League and the work of this
organization has been sanctioned or
accepted by the United States gov
ernment the authorities here are in
formed.
In the court of Justice Adolph An
dro the proprietor of the hotel has
paid a fine of $40 and costs on the
charge of disorderly conduct. He is
no longer a member Of the league, his
star being removed, it is stated. Be-
sides, it is said, due apologies have
been made to Mr.. Oetzman and he
has been paid $50 for his trouble.
Several persons at Ableman have
called up the News office to find out
what disposition had been made of
the case. The fine and costs were
not paid by Mr. Hill until late Satur-
day afternoon. AS rule newspapers
do not care to go into details in cases
of this kind unless there is a court
record The matter has been hang
ing from day to day and for that rea-
son it has been omitted. On Friday
there was an informal conference
over the matter between Chief of Po-
lice S. A. Pelton, Sheriff William
Welk District Attorney J. H. Hill and
Justice Adolph andre. Now that the
records have been made it becomes
public property and the newspapers
are at liberty to tell about the case.
Some of those who telephoned from
Ableman to this office were not sat
isfied with the proceedings last week
and threatened over the telephone
to start some action unless some
thing was done.
! The Canadian officer is no longer
speaking for the fourth liberty loan,
his name having been erased from
the list of speakers on file at the of
| fee of the bureau.