Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-07-01
TOMMY STACK
BREAKS UNDER
STRAIN OF WAR
Hero of Chateau-Thierry and the
Argonne Suffers From Severe
Shell Shock.

Two years ago April rs, Tommy
Stack, "a, of Keokuk, Iowa, volun-
teered for wars grim duty. in an
swer to his countrys call He was
physically ft-in the full strength
of his manhood
He made a good soldier and was
decorated for bravery by Genera
Pershing. Yesterday ~ emaciated,
unkempt, unwell-a mere shell or
the man he once was-physieally
pitiable wreck-he sat in Judge
Church's county court. his hands
manacled, bearing the inspecho1 OF
medical commission of two e
tors who had been called TO
termine his sanity.
The physicians decided he is in
dire need of medical treatment So
commitment papers for the state
hospital for the insane at Water
town were made out for Tommy.
There seemed to be no other place
to send him.
Nearly two years of hell in the
war unsettled Tommys mind At
least, according to his own story.
he has never been physically rght
since a big 350-millimeter German
shell dropped within 10 yards Of
him, killing so of his comrades out
right and sending him TO the hos
pital for many months a ravInE
maniac from shell shock and il was
thought fatally wounded. Frag-
ments of the high explosive smell
lodged in his head and his back.
pentrating to his lungs.
Second Volunteer In Iowa.
Tommy was the second Of Igr a's
her sons to volunteer. He hlgcams
a member of Company L. 16stb IN
fantry, Forty-second or Rainbow
division. He was sent overseas In
record time following brief training
at Camp Dodge. He proved his
metal at Chateau-Thierry-in the
Argonne, Belleau Wood, at Verdun
and in the Champagne. He served
with valor on six fronts and was
wounded three times
He gave everything he had. did
Tommy, and was then shipped home
but not until after the armistice
had been signed and the Hun van
pushed. irresponsible 70 a great
extent due to his condition, Tommy,
shortly after his return was charg-
ed with the attempted rape OF a IL
year-Gld girl He denies the charge
but stated that il caused him TO be
dishonorably discharged from the
servtce-without pay or bonus or
hope of future medical attention az
the expense of Uncle Sam.
Send me home, sir, he appealed
to the doctors examining him, lift
ing his steel-linked hands IN earn
est duplication It won't bother
anyone if you let me go home.
When left to himself, however,
Sheriff Fleming testified that
Tommy becomes violent, tearing
and scratching at himself He bore
several marks, self-inflieted, on his
face yesterday. why do YOU d.
that" one of the physicians fRed.
81 can't help it sir, was the va
thetic reply.
I'm a crap-shooter by profession
and king of EN- all" he declared 20
Sheriff Fleming yesterday really
pleased smile lighting mis- drawn,
sallow features at the thought o.
"nursin' the bones
In court yesterday he exhibited
his wound scars. There was no
fight in the Argonne," he was Jok-
ingly told. "Oh. no. the mouth OF
hell just opened up for breakfast"
was his ironic reply, given quick as
a flash.
Although there are some points
of his story that are doubted by the
evidence substantattn6
his testimony Of having been IN the
army and overseas with the Rain
bow troops was discovered IN a
suitcase which Tommy carried
when arrested Sunday in Keiths-
burg In IL was an army uniform,
nicely pressed, a trench mirror ana
other articles Of wearing appaFe.
and war service, all perfectly clean
and neatly packed Tommy claims
his home is at keokuk and that no
has a brother at Warsaw, Ill -