Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1918-10-31
WAR DEPARTMENT
BRANDS STORY As
A FALSE REPORT
Acting Surgeon General Believes
Insidious Rumor About Doctor
at Camp Grant Part of German
Propaganda
War Department, Office of the Surgeon
General, Washington

,, War Department, Office Of the Surgeon
General, Washington
October %, 1918.
Editor Baraboo Wisconsin Daily News,
Baraboo. Wis.
Dear Sir:
] have just had called to my atten-
ton clipping from the Daily News
of October 9Th or 10TH headed MADE
DOCTOR DIG HIS GRAVE"
The clipping was sent me by Ethel
S. Horton of Baraboo, Wis. 1t reads
as follows:
Mrs. e. r. Ross, Baraboo. Wis. has
received a letter from her sister, Mrs.
Isla Gamlin, Belvidere, ILL.,, which tells
OF the havoc wrought by the Spanish
influenza in that part Of the country.
A member of the family Of Mrs. Gam
lin has the disease, but will recover
unless relapse occurs. It is
queer disease in the way it affects
and leaves it's victims. There have
been many deaths in Belvidere, and
the writer speaks especially of fine
looking man who died in q short time
five days. There are 1900 cases in
Belvidere-almost every home a vic
tim" Continuing, the writer says:
cover at Camp Grant they are just
dying by the hundreds. Three Of our
undertakers and one from Belo:t
worked with all the Rockford under
takers all one night last week getting
bodies ready to be sent away. Mr..
Wilbeck said the bodies were piled six
teen deep waiting to be cared for
'They found one old villain guilty
over there this week-a doctor. ET-
cry soldier in his camp died. They
became suspicious of him, examined
his medicine and found poison in it,
50 they took him out, made him dig
his own grave, and shot him right
down Even that was too good,
though"
That part of the letter from Mrs.
Isla Gamlin of Belvidere to Mrs. E.
T. Ross of Baraboo, regarding the a.
legged shooting Of Doctor | wish
hereby formally to deny; this allega-
ton has not the slightest foundation
on fact OF course we all know the
Influenza situation is serious in the
camps, as we'll as in civil communi-
ties.
If you are inclined to doubt this de-
NAL, | would be very glad to furnish
you or any member Of your staff, Or
anyone whom you might otherwise
designate, authority to visit Camp
Grant and personally investigate this
silly, insidious and harmful rumor.
knowing that you stand only too
ready to aid the Government in the
stamping of such German propaganda
lies as such. / believe you will favor
ably consider my request that this
letter be given as much prominence
in your columns as was the unfortu-
nate gossip written from Mrs. Gam
lin of Belvidere, to Mrs. Ross OF Bar
aboo.
1t is far from my intention to do
anything more than to correct an hon
est but nevertheless erroneous belief
on the part Of Mrs. Gamlin Of BelVi-
dere.
You perhaps noticed that on Thurs
day last the Acting Surgeon General
issued a formal statement dealing
with reports similar to the one quoted
above. I have just received from
Acting Surgeon General Richards his
authorization to bring that denial up
to date-October 22nd-which | send
YOU for use as you may see fit.
Very truly yours,
J. P. YODER
Captain, Sanitary Corps, U. S. A.