The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1918-05-03
E. w. Tidwell of Parma, Who
Won Liberty Hat Takes
Alleged Stacker
SAYS HE WANTS TO DO
HIS PART FOR COUNTRY
Tells How He Forced FarmerT
Submit TO Arrest at the Point
Of His Revolver.

government secret service and bent
on getting" all who failed to regis
ter, E. w. Tidwell, an aged farmer
of Parma, went to the home of joseph
Scales, three miles south of Parma
arrested the man and brought him to
the Cape yesterday morning. Scales
was placed in the city Jail awaiting
the action of the Federal authorities
Tidwell charges the prisoner failed to
register, while Scales stated he was
several years of the age limit.
TidweI arrived here with his pris-
oner handcuffed. He said he went to
the farm, where Scales lived, in COM
pany with Sam Turner of Parma, and
while he held a gun against Scales
stomach Turner slipped the hand
cuffs over his wrists, and they start
ed for the railroad station. Scales
offered no resistance, he said.
Scales was taken before United
States Commissioner Russell Dear
mont yesterday noon. He told the
commissioner he was 81 years old, but
could offer no written evidence to
show his age. Tidwell, however, said
he knew Scales celebrated his 25th
birthday in October, 1914, and che
certainly can not have aged that
many years in such a short time" he
added, iokingly.
Tidwe!l wore his new Liberty" hat.
It was the one he received as a pres
ent from Deputy United States Mar
shal Kennedy, Assistant United
States District Attorney White and
other attaches of the Federal Court,
who were here during the last term
Of court. II was peculiar sight to
zee the aged man, with his white pa
triarchal beard and long white hair
walking Oh the street with his prison.
er, handcuffed, marching a few feet
ahead.
Tidwell said he was too old to fight
himself, and had little money to in
vest in the Liberty Bonds, but he be-
lieved it was the best way he could
assist the government, by rounding
Up al the sl2ckers he could find.
About four weeks ago he caused the
arrest of Ula Hodge, a young man OF
kennett, who was indicted by the last
Federal grand jury. Hodge left with
the last draft men from Dunklin
county. For this he received the Lib
erty hat.
In explaining why he had volun-
teered to help the government find
slackers, and men who made disloyal
he said he had two sons
fighting in France at the present time
Both are over the draft age limit, but
being cid soldiers, and having seen
service during the Spanish-American
war, they volunteered when the Unit
ed States declared war on Germany. >.
II have two sons in France now"
he said. 'they are doing their duty,
and ! want everybody else who is ca
pable to do his part in the war. l
am veteran of the Civil War, and
can not fight now, but ] can help the
government find men who are trying
to dodge military service, and will do
everything | can to expose and arrest
these men.
Despite my age, l am not afraid
Of anybody as long as this thing
works." and with the words he drew
from his belt a SO caliber Colts re-
volver
Tidwen gave Commissioner Dear
mont the name of a man living in
Parma, who he said, had been making
some reasonable remarks against
the President and the government. On
several occasions he said this man ex-
pressed the desire of wanting to shoot
the President, because he believed the
President had no right to get into the
war. He asked the commissioner what
he should do in the case.
In reply to this question Commits
Sioner Dearmont asked the volunteer
government agent what h ethought |
ne ought to do.
81 think" Tidwell answered, che |
ought to be arrested and given the |
INIT, 220 years in the Federal peni-
3entiary."