Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1919-02-13
M'LEAN MYSTERY
IS NOW SOLVED
Reports that Alma Lad is Alive
in French Hospital Have
Been Proven a Myth.

Fate, working hand in hand. with
the official red tape operated by
scores Of overworked clerks in the
war department at Washington, has
played a strong game with Mrs Ella
Mclean of l05 Rockingham avenue,
but nov the suspense under which
she has been laboring for months
has ended. Hopes that she might
again see her son, brave little Leslie,
are dashed, word having come from
, France from the Graves Registration
Service of the United States army,
that the son, Private Leslie c. Nc
Lean, lies in heroes grave in the
American cemetery at Jouy-sur-
Moin, Seine-et- -Marne.
A strange tangle of that red tape
was made by fate. which has preyed
constantly on Mrs. Mclean, dashing
her hopes, only to raise them and
then plunge them to the pit of des-
pair again leaving her with only the
consolation which she first habitat
her son is in hero's grave, martyr
to the great cause o humanity, which
he had so nobly sought to aid.
Early in August official word came
from the war defnetment that Pri-
vate Leslie Mclean had been killed
in action July 20. Shortly after
when the chautauqua was here, near
! ly fifteen hundred people were pres
ent at the memorial exercises held in
honor Of the lad, the first of Alma S
soldier deah
Soon after letters were received
! from his officers in France. which
told of the lad being wounded and of
being taken to hospital These
letters told of the lad being wounded
on July 10. No mention was made
that the Alfa boy had died and a
mothers hopes began 10 raise She
might yet see her baby. sixteen
year old Leslie.
Then came insurance money from
the government about Thanksgiving
time, and the slight hopes that the
letters had raised were dashed again
Then month later another install
nent came This was followed two
days later by a request to return
the insurance money that Leslie was
alive, wounded in a hospital in
| France
Once more mothers hopes were
picked up from the dust; a mothers
heart was joyful. Surely such a
request and other things in the let
ter, meant that Leslie was alive
Letters to France and letters to
Washington were sent seeking in
formation. The war department
tape is unwinding, and apparently
in Washington, Leslie Mclean is
still listed as alive.
From France, from Lieutenant
Colonel Charles c. Pierce of the
Graves Registration Service of the
American army, has come the
definite information of the death OF
Leslie.
had received a letter from St
Louis soldier, who had told of meet
ing another st. Louis man in France
who had seen young Mclean on
July l5 wounded, crawling to the
first aid station. after having re-
fused assistance. This communica-
tion said that the writer had been
told by this soldier that Mclean
had died from loss of blood
This possibly accounts for the
mixups. His officers said he was
wounded on July Is, while the gov
ernment word said he was killed in
action July 20. 1t is probable that
his message should have stated. died
Of wounds His officers. evidently as
their letters showed, had no knowl-
edge that the boy had died in the
hospital, whee they stated he had
been taken.