ed States courts, and heavily fined for alleged violations of the Espionage law, passed during the War for the purpose of restraining enemies of the country for working against the policy of the government during the War. Among these we may name the case of S. H. Miller of Shanesville, Ohio, arraigned before a U. S. court in Cleveland, Ohio, and the writer in company with Rhine W. Benner, who were fined before a court in Martinsburg, West Virginia.[1]
At a later period in the war many of our brethren who had long been held in camp, were allowed to go out into farming sections of the country to assist in the gathering and the storing of crops, but a careful regulation was adopted so that in no case were they allowed to go to their own homes or neighborhoods. In some cases where the brethren arrived at the places assigned, threatenings to lynch them became at times loud and frequent.
After the armistice was signed all our brethren were called back to camp, where they appeared to have been among the first to get their discharges. Though the hardest tests appear to have come upon the brethren who were called into camp, and still more so while confined in army prisons, yet many of them were also severely tried at their homes. Solicitation to invest in liberty bonds and War savings stamps was made in strong terms to our people. Where they refused to contribute to the
- ↑ For an extended description of the experiences of Mennonites during these trying times, read "Mennonites in the World War," by J. S. Hartzler, published by Mennonite Publishing House, Scottdale, Pennsylvania.
