Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 111, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 May 1916 — ENGLISH CORPORAL A SLEUTH [ARTICLE]

ENGLISH CORPORAL A SLEUTH

Officer Attended Meeting of Men Who Were Trying to Evade Conscription. Corporal Ayres of the Queen's West Surrey regiment described at the Relgate military tribunal how he managed to gain admission to a’'private meeting held in a large house in a fashionable portion of the town, at which there were present a number of young men. It had come to his knowledge, the corporal added, that meetings were held for the deliberate purpose of obstructing the military service act. The young men and the host quoted Scripture to prove that it was against the will of Christ to take up arms, and he cited Scripture to prove the contrary. He came away thoroughly convinced that the gathering was for the purpose of assisting* the young men to get out of doing military service. A young man of twenty-four, a grocer’s assistant, the applicant for exemption on conscientious grounds, declined to say if the meeting, which he had attended, was held for the purpose of assisting people to formulate claims for exemption. The mayor asked: “You say you are a disciple of Jesus Christ, apd yet you will not tell the truth?’’ “If you accuse me of telling a lie I refuse to argue with you," the applicant replied. Exemption was refused. The mayor remarked that the young man was evidently suffering from a disordered mind. —London Telegraph.