New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1918-06-19
.C0MFREY GOES MAD
RR01HS ATlM0UYH] |
SIGHT OF NON-PARTISAN TO1R
J. DRIVES SOME VILLAGERS
QUITE INSANE -.
USE WEAPONS OF EVERY SORE
ON UNARMED MEMBERS OF
BOOSTER TOUR

AS rule when boosters 60 out ONE
booster raid thru their own county tbev
are given loyal welcome at alnoast
every place that they choose to stsn
and the citizens of any of the places would
feel hurt if for some reason or :other their
own balllWlck was left out of the itinerary
OF the boosters. But these are strange
times!
A Shame To The County
Non-partisan booster tours had been
planned by the Non-partisan Leaguerx
IN practically every county in the state
and IN quite few of the counties there
was more or less unpleasantness at some
OF the places thru which the boostzx
passed but it was left to Comfrey Ia
Brown County to show such a spirEi
OF hostility and such a disregard of thu
rights of the people that the doings at
that place will always remain blot on
the talr escutcheon of Brown County
Trouble Prophesied
1t was minated to the boosters BE-
fore they left Springfield that there might
be some trouble at Comfrey. However.
no one ever dreamed that people would
arm themselves with clubs, rocks, IRON
bars and guns or would use such weapaas
upon people who came there unarnedw
peacefully inclined and only intending
to pass thru the streets of the village
When the first cars reached the village
they found barricade built Of hay
racks and other material placed acrps:
the public road and so to 100 men and
young boys on guard with clubs and5other
weapons which they Immediately CON-
menced to put into use. For some
time the, air was literally filed with
flying stones, eggs, and clubs. Not
only were the defenders Of Comfrey
intent on keeping the boosters out of the
confines Of their village but after they
had started to turn back and get away
from people who showed such hostile
spirit, they were follv we'd for half mile
and quite a number of the cars were
damaged by being struck with clubs and
daubed with yellow paint.
Cowardly Attack
Several of the boosters were severely
bruised, among them John Grabner,
sixty years of age, a farmer living south
of Sleepy Eye and Alex Waibel who WEE
struck over the head with club, causing
quite scalp would. Grabner WAS
knocked down from behind and dubbed
as he lay on the ground. There mem
quite number of others who had scaIp
wounds but these were not of a serieE
nature. For a time it was feared that
Grabner had been struck by bullet,
as a number of shots were fired by the
Comfreyites but from latest adVices It
would seem that this was not the azse.
One Of the men poked gun al. a woman
OF the booster party and made threatx
of shooting but the woman did not show
any signs at all of being afraid and called
the man coward and dared him to
shoot Some of the men of the booster
party managed to get possession of some
of the clubs and welded them alsn,
apparently with fairly good results as
would appear from later accounts that
have tricklid into New Ulm from Com
frey. "
! If the reports that have reached this
office are true, it would appear that the
Comfreyites had deliberately planned
a battle to the finish because it is SAD
that back of the first line of attack they
had stored quite a number of clubs, mon
oars and rocks. SO that in case they were
forced to retreat they would always have
weapons to continue the fight.
Interesting Souvenir.
Root. G. Lambrecht managed to 81
cure and retain one of the clubs that,
we're used by the Comfreyites and showed
t on the streets of New Ulm the following
lay. This was most vicious locking
weapon about four feet long and at the
end almost as thick as a base ball hat
The twigs were cut off in such mannH
that there were at last dozen sharp,
strong prongs sticking out 1t is =
wonder that no more serious harm came :
20 the farmers than actually did.
towards Ask Sheriff. Help.
An attempt was made by one of che
Nom partisan Leaguers to reach Neu
Ulm by telephone but he was unable e
get any service. Others however.
seemed to be able to get service over tbe
telephone because Melton Han1tnn, =
barber of Comfrey who was one sf the
leaders Of the mob and who was toting
q shooting iron, around, shortly there
(CnT1finjlfAd IN rl.uns 01