Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-08-03
Pennsylvania Boys Show
Up Well in Fighting

Philadelphia, Aug. 3.-Mullen, of
Tyrone, forms a combination built
/ for deeds heroic, and it is meet shat
such a son of Old Erin should put
| Camp Meade on the may some
where in France" For to Private
Jchn ]. Mullen, of c Company, 10th
Infantry, who lived at 1891 Merton
avenue, goes the distinction of being
! the first drafted man from this Soc
! ticn to be mentioned for conspicuous
! bravery, and he is the index of the
sort of stuff that Pennsylvania sent
down to Camp Meade last Septem-
| Der.
! Raymond G. Carroll, correspon-
| dent with the American forces, tells
the story of Mullen to-day, a tale that
will thrill every Irishman and other
| patriot in the city, Mullen and a
country lad named Corporal Alva
Martz had fought their way through
heavy barrage, and learned from a
struggling soldier that a number of
their comrades had been captured
| by the Huns and handed over to two
intelligence officers.
| So, using the woodcraft that was
a gift of heridity to Martz and the
| dash that came to Mullen through
long strain of fighting ancestry,
the corporal and private went hunt
| ing the Huns. They "potted" both
o, them, liberated the captives and
then went along to seek the Germans
! to devour.
Mullen is twenty-three years old
| and has been in this country for
three years, making his home with
! his sister, Mrs. William Heagney. He
had been drawing beer for a time
! before the call to the colors came and
! then he rolled up his apron one day
and saluted the boss in this fash
ion:
You have about five hours to get
new man, for I'm going to Camp
| Meade tomorrow morning and I've
got a real job that I've been wanting
for some time"
Mullen's desire to fight had been
stimulated by letters he received
| from his brother, who was in the
Canadian engineers in France. Every
| time he got a letter he wanted to
enlist, but he was told the selective
service act would give him all the
| chance he needed and he waited.
He was in the first draft, and after
he had been in Camp Meade for a
month was sent to Camp Hancock TO
| help fill the infantry regiments to
| war strength.
He was always a fine lad" said
! his sister, "and although he tended
! bar l want to say that he never xnew
| the taste of liquor. Why, when he
| left Tyrone, three years ago the
whole town of Fintona, where he was
born, was on hand to see him off.
! John played in the Tyrone Band and
everybody home liked him.
Given Watch in Tyrone
why, before he went away the
good priest and the young fellows
around the parish bought him a
watch, they thought so much of him.
Never a word was ever said about
John in his old home, and the peo-
pie around this neighborhood who
knew him thought as much of him.
But d hero. That is great to me;
but John was such reserved sort of
| fellow that it comes strange to me
/ to know that he is such hero. l
don't care anything about that hero
business, and as long as you tell
that John is alive and has his
strength that's the best news you
! could bring me. My, but his father
and mother will just open their eyes
when l write and tell them about
| Johnny"
Major Joseph H. Thompson, of
Beaver Falls, commanding the 10th
Pennsylvania Infantry, whose gall
! lent conduct was mentioned in Mr..
| Carrolls dispatches yesterday, also
was distinctive figure on the grid
iron. He played on the Blue and
Gold teams of 190S-1909, of the Uni
versity of Pittsburgh and captained
the team In the latter year. He con-