Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-11-08
Nm. Lent,
&. IS A.!!|liUe
lifyaols STORIES C~oncefnine Execu-
Nm 81 Reynolds Soldier Is Concau-
avcly Proven - Result OF Ofhcial
Investigation.

Jonas Lentz. a well known farmer.
living near Reynolds. has received the
blowing message from w. R.. Castle.
r.. director Of the Red Cross bureau
G Communication at Washington. D.
"cable from London reports your
on William Lentz alive and well.
Rumors absolutely without founda-
don. Character above reproach."
This official Information, contain
ng the. result of Investigations going
IN in Washington and London, con-
:lusively proves that stories to the
Effect that William Lentz had been
Necuted for. gross INSTRUMENTATION,
rere absolutely untrue and lacking
wen the p%retense of foundation.
At about the time these rumors
Vere circulated, The Herald took oc-
tasion t o denounce them as false
loods on the ground that all the cir
sumstances alleged to have surround
I'd the reported execution were OF
Mch q ridiculous nature that they at
pnce stamped the author of the stories
s a purveyor Of lying rumors and
gossip.
Nevertheless, the rumors caused the
hmily Of William Lentz much need
less worry, and the Home Service Sec
Jon of the Grand Forks county chap
her Of the American Red Cross took
he matter up for investigation, partly
10 obtain relief for the worried fam
ny, and partly to establish without a
aoubt that the originator Of h
execution story was circulating false
hoods.
Minneapolis Bureau Acts.
J. B. Wineman, chairman OF the
section. wrote to Jonas Lentz at Rey-
1olds that there could not possibly be
my truth in the stories, and in sup
port Of his claim to that effect Mr..
Wineman said that no American SOL
der can be put to death without first
having had a trial by a court a
hal, and, further, that death penalty
Is imposed only for crimes Of exceed
lngly serious nature. Another version
Of the story to the effect that young
Lentz had been thrown overheard
from a transport ship, "a also ex-
ploded by Mr.. Wineman.
The next step was hat the family
work section of the northern division
Of the Red Gross at Minneapolis was
communicated with, and said that a
once, as it was impossible to send
cablegrams on a subject Of this ma
ture.
At the instigation Of the Mime
apolis bureau the investigation was
then carried on to Washington and
London with the result that the mes
sage from Mr.. Castle arrived at Rey-
nolds from the London Office of the
Red Cross III Washington a couple
II days ago.
The Gist Of the Stories.
The first story circulated in this
dty was to the effect that William
Lentz while aboard a transport had
committed some minor onense for
which he was thrown overheard. The
story was at once characterized as
being too absurd to merit any serious
denial.
The second which was cir
eulated here persisently was that
Private Lentz, while in camp in
France, had refused to carry out the
he had attempted to induce his COM
rades to be equally disobedient, and
that finally he was put to death by q
hiring squad without previously ap-
pearing before a court-martial.
In spite of the fact that the stories
were told with much circumstantial
detail, it developed that Private Lentz
at the time he was reported to have
been shot in France ever had been
In that country but still was in Eng
land, and that on a date subsequent to
that day on which the execution was
reported to have taken place, Lentz
had written a letter to his father.
In view Of the seriousness Of the
matter there is a possibility that the
government will institute investigation
in order to place the original re-
Eponsibility on the man who first cir
eulated the rumors.