Bio: Krueger, Leslie (Firearms and Weapons Confiscated - 1918)

Contact: Ann Stevens
Email: ann@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Krueger

----Source: Neillsville Times (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 7/25/1918

Krueger, Leslie (Firearms and Weapons Confiscated – 20 Jul 1918)

On Saturday Clark County authorities slipped up to Withee and confiscated a shipment of ammunition and firearms which it was learned were in the possession of two of the Krueger boys. It will be remembered that two of the Krueger bros. are draft evaders, Louis Krueger having failed to appear for physical examination on April 27th and Leslie Krueger having failed to put in an appearance for entrainment on June 25. Neither of the two boys have been located and are liable to punishment for their offense. After Louis failed to appear before the exemption board, his mother and brother, Leslie, appeared before the board and testified that they did not know where Louis was and Leslie further stated that his religious belief would not permit him to kill and would not go into the army. Mrs. Krueger also testified that she had trained all her boys that it was wrong to kill and that they did not believe in war: that the Bible told them it was wrong to kill, and to love their enemies as they loved themselves. All of which was well and good, but the later record of the Krueger family tended to dispel any confidence that the authorities had put into their stories.

At any rate, last Saturday it was found that this family was preparing for war of one kind or another in a rather lavish manner. The following weapons and ammunition was confiscated at the Krueger home: one 38 cal. automatic Colt revolver with an extra chamber for cartridges to fit this gun, one extra chamber for a 45 cal. automatic Colt revolver and 50 cartridges to fit the revolver supposed to be hidden in the house: one extra chamber for an 8 mm. rifle of either a Mauser or a Mannlich design and 60 cartridges to fit it. In all, the Krueger arsenal was equipped with two revolvers and one rifle with 235 rounds of ammunition. Quite a formidable array of weapons for a peace-loving family and entirely sufficient to stand off the sheriff or deputies in case arrests were made at any time. At any rate the Krueger arsenal is now at the court house awaiting further developments in this more or less interesting case.