first victim was George Shank, a man aged about fifty years, who was brought to Wooster from the court of Justice A. U. Weygandt, of Baughman township. Shank had worked about a week in the onion fields at Big Prairie, and then started out to travel and beg. He was fined $10 and costs by the Justice, and went to the Canton workhouse to work out the fine. During the summer several other arrests were made, although a country-wide campaign against the loafer put the idler on his guard. Sheriff Miller, in his official work, made frequent trips to the various parts of the county, and never failed, whenever opportunity offered, to prod up the constables and justices concerning the necessity of constant watchfulness. Although it had nothing to do with the work of stamping out enemy propaganda, or any of the other police work, there was one other court action that can be set down here as appropriately as anywhere else. Judge Critchfield placed the seal of approval upon the sentiment of "Win the war first", when he adjourned court proceedings in order that farmers could give all of their time to raising food products. The winter term of court in 1917 was interfered with because attorneys spent a month in assisting registrants to fill out their questionnaires. This was during the latter part of December and in January. From January, 1918 until far into March, the court room was busy every day, but when the weather opened up, Judge Critchfield sent the jurors home, and informed lawyers that nothing, save court cases, would be heard until fall. In the fall of 1918 the influenza epidemic caused a further postponement, and it was not until the middle of January, 1919, that jury cases were resumed. It is doubtful if there was ever another period of ten consecutive months when no cases were heard to a jury in Wayne county. No county in Ohio had better police protection during the war than did Wayne county. The police force of the city of Wooster, headed by Chief Henry Leiner, gave active support to Sheriff Miller, and officers at Creston and Orrville, where the number of railroads made these points important in the work of suppressing crime, were constantly on the alert. Prosecutor Benton G. Hay was frequently consulted by Sheriff Miller, and by constables and justices over the county regarding the method of procedure in various matters not clearly defined in the war rulings. His competent advice kept officers safely within their rights. And besides this regular peace-time organization, the agents of the American Protective League throughout the county, headed by Frank R. Fortune of Wooster, did a most valuable service. THE AMERICAN PROTECTIVE LEAGUE America has always been disposed to peace. We have not planned for war. Our army has never been a menace to ourselves or to any other nation; our navy, though strong and modern, never has been larger than a country of our extent in territory and industry admittedly ought to have. America, far off, new, rich, abounding, a land where a man might be free to grow to his natural stature, where he might be safe at his own fireside, where he might select his own rules and rest always secure under his own form of government, that was the theory of this country, and of its form of government. That was the reason why this country, naturally endowed above any other region of the world, has grown so marvelously fast. She was a land not of war, but of peace. Rich, she threw open her doors. Frank, free, honest, generous, she made a welcome for all. She suspected none, trusted all, and to prove this offered partnership to any man in the world, under a system of naturalization laws whose like does not exist elsewhere in broadness and generosity. Peace-the chance to grow and be happy. Peace-and a partnership in all she had. Peace and a seat free at the richest table of the world. That was what America offered. In spite of the pinch and the unrest of growing numbers; in spite of the problems imported and not native to our long untroubled land, that was the theory of American life up to the date of four years ago. She never suspected, but now she knows. And America, traditionally resourceful, but sud denly agonized in the discovery of treachery at her own door, out of the very anguish of her indignant horror, out of the very need of the hour,, suddenly and adequately rose to her emergency. She has always done So. It was this spirit of anguished America which mobilized the American Protective League. There never was a time when America could lose the war. The answer and the order was written at the same time in the stars. Sometime high up in the Heavens, blind Justice let fall her sword in a gesture of command, and the American Protective League became a factor in the great war. At that time the special agents of the Bureau of Investigation numbered comparatively few. The number of cases to be investigated as German alien enemies multiplied by the thousands over night, and the Department of Justice was literally swamped with investigations. They were not able to even hope to make the number of investigations that they were called on day by day. There was only one solution, and that was the voluntary operation of an organization working as an auxiliary with full authority under the Department of Justice. The American Protective League spread itself throughout the nation with headquarters in Washington, D. C., and branches in each county and representatives in each village and hamlet. The individuals were not generally known as they were really the ears and eyes of the Department of Justice-secret service men. They compiled the data relative to alien enemies, slackers from the Selective Service Act, deserters from the army, and submitted such facts to the Department itself. The individual member had no authority to make an official arrest, but many of them were appointed by the various courts in the counties in which they lived, as deputy sheriffs, in order that they might relieve to a very great extent the civil authorities of the large amount of work that they had undertaken. In our own Wayne county the court appointed such deputy sheriffs and through the unceasing devotion of the local police and Sheriff Milton Miller, it was possible to carry on this work in Wayne county without a single error or slip. The Wayne county branch of the American Protective League was made up of men in all walks of life-bankers, merchants, manufacturers, et cetera. It reported cases such as alien enemy activities, citizens disloyalties and sedition (Espionage Act), anti-military activities, interference with the draft and propaganda, distributing printed matter, slacker raids, work or fight order, camp desertions, hoarding and profiteering in food, and many other various classifications. One particular case that probably was of greater interest and benefit to the Federal Government than any other that came under the direction of the American Protective League was the character and loyalty reports of those who desired overseas service such as commissions in the army, entering the Red Cross service, Y. M. C. A., K. of C., etc. In each individual case a questionnaire was forwarded to the American Protective League to make a thorough and unbiased report on the character, loyalty, and integrity of the individual. One can not view the work of this organization without fully realizing the co-operation necessary among its members giving full credit to each individual member of the organization in the work, what they have accomplished in the time they have spent in this service. The Wayne County Branch has been complimented by the National Headquarters at Washington as under date of October 8, 1918, a letter was received, of which the following is a portion : "Permit me to take this occasion on the part of the National Directors to comment on the magnificent work your organization is performing, and to assure you of the hearty co-operation of this office in all of your undertakings for the good of our Country, and the fullest measure of protection we can give it." Then again under date of January 8th, 1919, the organization received a letter from the Department of Justice at Cleveland, Ohio, which is quoted in full: "Without detracting one iota from the glory due our own brave soldiers and the soldiers of the Allies for the victory over the Central Powers, it is proper to affirm that the victory would hardly have been possible had it not been for the splendid co-operation and patient persistent work of the people back in civil life. "The fight in the United States to prevent pacificists, anarchists, I. W. W.'s, disloyal Americans and German sympathizers from harming our country to the extent of crippling our fighting forces, has been waged unremittingly by every loyal, patriotic citizen of the United States, and, chief among the forces assisting the Department of Justice against the internal enemies of the country, has been the American Protective League. "With all candor the statement can be made that no branch of the American Protective League has done more effective work in the district covered than the Wooster branch under your own splendid leadership. I have had occasion to meet many of the operatives of the Wooster Branch, and know them to be a body of zealously patriotic men. "It was understood at the time the American Protective League was organized that the purpose of the League was to assist the Department of Justice during the war. The Wooster Branch has accomplished that purpose in a remarkable degree. "The dissolution of the League by the National Directors, to become effective February 1, 1919, is therefore well understood by this office. Nevertheless, I personally would be very happy indeed to have the Wooster Branch of the League assist the Department of Justice in this district indefinitely if that were possible. "Will you please express to each officer and operative in the Wooster Branch of the League my hearty appreciation for the intelligent assistance given during the "Great War", and accept for yourself my thanks and highest regards?" During the operation of the League in Wayne County there were referred to the Department of Justice many cases classified as follows: 2 cases alien enemy activities. 3 cases citizen loyalties and sedition. 3 cases anti-military activities. 185 cases printed matter (propaganda). 53 cases of slacker raids. 10 cases of work or fight order. 65 cases of character and loyalty investigations for overseas service. 7 cases camp desertion. 5 cases under Food Administration regulations. Among these various cases as noted above were many investigations of the Mennonite and Amish of the District on the account of their apparent disloyalty to the army of the country. Circulars were distributed among the Mennonites with the names of about one hundred and eighty ministers and bishops of the Church instructing the man within the draft age to take no part in the service of the country under the military arm of the Government. It was found with these pamphlets in the hands of the draftees that it caused a world of trouble, not only to the local draft board, but to the officers at camps where these various so-called conscientious objectors were sent. Many of these conscientious objectors within the draft age were convicted and sentenced to the maximum penalty under the federal court for not complying with the Selective Service Act, such as not entraining or going to camp when ordered to. A case handled by the Wayne County organization that attracted a great deal of comment was that of Rev. Wirth of Winesburg who preached a sermon of sedition over the body of a soldier who had died at Camp Pike, Arkansas. This minister was finally convicted and sentenced to the Atlanta Penitentiary. Further activities of the American Protective League of Wayne County were gathering evidence against people who were financially able but refused to buy Liberty Bond, subscribe to the various war charities, and determining whether a man who was not doing so was financially able to do his part in the world war. Much information was gathered and submitted to the proper authorities, and as a result large sums of money were subscribed. Under date of January 9, 1919, District Attorney Wertz, in a letter mailed from his Cleveland office to the Historian, paid the following tribute to the A. P. L. operators of Wayne County, and made public their names. The letter follows: Dear Sir: Permit me to acknowledge letter of January 6th, 1919 in which you ask for an opinion as to the work and success of the members of the Wooster Branch of The American Protective League, eliminating entirely any personalities. The work of the American Protective League in Wayne County and adjoining counties, was of the highest order. It is not generally understood by the public, the wide field in which this organization employed its activities. It is a fact that the work in Wayne County, under the direction of Captain F. R. Fortune was of much value to the government. It is also a fact that the work in no other county was surpassed by the patient and loyal work of the Wayne County organization. You will readily understand why I make this statement when I submit to you a list of the names of the members of the American Protective League of Wooster, Ohio, as shown on the records. These men are among the best citizens of Wayne county and have rendered good service to the Government. The men in Wayne county who belong to the organization are as follows: F. R. Fortune, Wooster Lee R. King, Orrville |