the use and need of the life of carrie a. nation-第28章

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threatening；　saying：　〃His　wife　would　fix　me。〃　Although　this　man　was
disturbing　the　peace；　disorderly　and　dangerous；　no　one　offered　to　arrest
him。　He　held　me；　while　four　women　ran　from　some　place　with　whips
and　sticks。　One　beat　me　with　her　fist；　another　with　a　whip；　one　with　a
raw…hide；　while　one　pulled　my　hair　and　kicked　me　into　the　gutter；　nearly
killing　me。

I　said：　〃Women；　will　you　let　me　be　murdered。〃　For　although　there
were　men　and　women　present；　not　one　did　a　thing；　until　at　last；　an　old
lady；　the　mother　of　the　saloon…keeper's　wife；　picked　up　a　brick　and　said：
〃If　anyone　strikes　that　woman　again　I　will　hit　them　with　this。〃　Then　all
rushed　to　defend　me。

I　was　almost　breathless。　My　hair　was　down；　much　of　it　being　pulled
out。　I　went　home　with　my　friend；　Mrs。　Hoffman。　These　parties　were
arrested。　The　trial　brought　out　the　fact　that　this　dive…keeper；　Stillings；
had　hired　these　women。　To　the　gambler's　wife　he　was　to　give　twenty…
five　dollars；　to　use　the　raw…hide。　Two　women　were　prostitutes；　whom
this　Stillings　had　brought　to　town　for　this　purpose。　They　were　fined　a
small　sum；　and　the　whole　of　them　given　a　few　hours　to　leave　town。

My　body　was　bruised　and　sore。　My　limbs　were　striped　with　bruises；
but　I　was　only　disabled　two　days。

While　in　Enterprise　I　got　a　telegram　from　Holt；　signed　by　the　〃Temperance
Committee；〃　it　read：　〃Come　here　and　help　us　break　up　dives。〃
This　little　town　was　only　twelve　miles　from　Enterprise。　In　going　to
the　train　that　night　there　seemed　to　have　been　some　one　hiding　on　every
corner　throwing　eggs。　My　dress　was　covered　with　them。　I　got　to　Holt
at　midnight。　When　I　got　off　the　train；　I　then　knew　it　was　a　plot　to
injure　me　for　no　one　was　there　to　meet　me；　and　I　saw　some　suspicious
men　keeping　in　the　dark。　I　got　in　a　hack　and　went　to　a　hotel。
I　asked　for　the　women　but　all　had　retired。　I　went　up　to　my　room；
which　was　very　small。　It　had　one　window　which　was　raised　an　inch
with　a　lath　under　it；　and　I　thought　it　strange　at　the　time　that　the　landlord
should　have　let　the　window　down；　but　I　was　very　tired　and　dropped
asleep　almost　as　soon　as　I　touched　the　bed。　About　two　o'clock　I　was
awakened　with　a　smothered　feeling；　struggling　for　breath。　I　jumped　for
the　window；　which　I　threw　up；　for　the　room　was　full　of　the　most　poisonous
odor；　as　of　cigarettes；　and　other　smells。　I　knew　that　there　were　persons
at　the　door　puffing　the　poison　in。　I　sat　at　the　window　and　listened
and　in　about　fifteen　minutes　I　heard　some　one　whistling　and　saw
through　the　transom　that　a　light　was　coming。　A　man　stopped　at　my
door　and　knocked。

〃What　do　you　want？〃

〃I　want　to　speak　to　you；〃　he　replied。

〃What　is　it？〃

〃I　want　to　speak　to　you。〃

God　showed　me　in　a　vision　two　men　crouched　on　each　side　of　the
door　ready　to　either　catch　or　slug　me；　if　the　door　was　opened。

〃I　see　you　sluggers　on　each　side　of　the　door。　You　villain；　you　have
tried　to　murder　me　by　throwing　poison　in　my　room　and　now　you　are
trying　something　else。〃

〃There　is　a　mob　here　after　you。〃

〃You　are　a　liar；〃　I　answered。

〃There　is　a　committee　wants　to　speak　to　you。〃

〃You　are　telling　lies　in　order　to　have　me　open　my　door。〃

He　left　and　went　down　below；　and　for　ten　minutes　there　was　a
great　tramping　of　feet　and　I　could　hear　the　landlord　making　out　as
if　he　was　dispersing　a　crowd。　I　watched　from　my　window　and　saw　two
men　walking　away。　I　certainly　was　thankful　for　a　lock　on　my　door。
Next　morning　when　ready　to　leave　my　room；　I　looked　up　and　down　the
passages　well；　then　I　hurried　and　did　not　feel　safe；　until　I　got　on　the
outside。　I　asked　a　little　boy　if　there　were　any　Christians　in　Holt。

〃No；　but　there　are　some　in　the　country。〃

I　got　my　breakfast　at　a　restaurant；　and　I　called　out　on　the　streets
that　I　would　hold　a　meeting　in　front　of　this　hotel　where　I　had　stopped。
There　was　a　crowd　and　I　then　told　of　the　telegram　and　of　how　I　was
treated。　I　pointed　to　the　landlord；　who　was　the　picture　of　a　villain；　and
a　coward。　The　two　dive…keepers　of　Holt　were　at　this　meeting。　They
asked　me　if　I　intended　to　smash　the　saloons　there。

〃Of　course；　I　didn't　come　to　Holt　to　do　anything　else。〃

One　man　told　me　that　he　would　shoot　me　if　I　came　into　his　place。

〃I　am　not　afraid　of　your　gun。　Maybe　it　would　be　a　good　thing　for
a　saloon…keeper　to　kill　Carry　Nation。　It　might　be　the　means　of　causing
the　people　to　smash　the　dives。〃

The　one　that　talked　to　me　was　white　with　fear　and　anger；　but　at
last　the　color　came　back　to　his　face；　and　soon　he　was　in　good　humor；　he
told　me　he　never　expected　to　open　that　saloon　again。　In　less　than　ten
days　from　that　time；　the　people　of　the　county　became　so　aroused；　that
the　prosecuting　attorney　closed　every　saloon　in　the　county；　which　were
twelve　in　number。

From　Holt　I　went　to　Topeka。　I　stopped　with　the　United　Brethren
minister　there；　and　spoke　in　his　church。　The　saloons　were　all　over
Topeka。　I　went　down　town　after　dark；　to　see　the　condition　of　things。
It　was　soon　learned　that　I　was　on　the　streets；　and　a　crowd　gathered。
I　went　to　some　dives　and　joints。　I　could　not　get　in。　One　had　his　mistress
stationed　at　the　door　with　a　broomstick。　She　gave　me　four　blows
before　I　could　get　away；　poor　creature。　I　met　her　niece　after　that；　who
told　how　the　saloon…keeper　cast　her　off　and　that　she　died　a　miserable　death。

While　I　was　there　the　State　Temperance　Union　had　a　meeting　in
the　First　Presbyterian　church。　Capt。　Cook；　from　Chetopa；　got　up　in　the
meeting　and　said：　〃Here　is　ten　dollars　towards　giving　a　medal　to　the
bravest　woman　in　Kansas；　Carry　Nation。〃　One　hundred　and　twenty
dollars　was　raised。

I　said：　〃I　would　prefer　that　the　money　be　used　to　pay　my　lawyers；
rather　than　be　put　into　a　medal　as　I　did　not　wear　gold　in　any　way。〃

We　held　a　good　many　meetings。　I　spoke　in　several　churches　and
held　meetings　in　Dr。　Eva　Harding's　office；　where　we　prepared　to　take
measures　to　break　up　saloons　in　Topeka；　where　sworn　officials　were
perjuring　themselves　from　governor　down　to　constable。　About　this　time
a　certain　woman　pretended　to　be　a　friend　of　mine；　but　was　a　spy　and
a　traitor。　I　believe　she　was　hired　by　the　jointists　to　find　out　our　plans。
She　told　me　she　knew　where　every　saloon　in　the　city　was　and　would
show　them　to　me。　It　was　understood　by　a　few　of　us　that　we　would
make　a　raid　one　morning　in　February；　1901；　and　I　called　on　this　woman　to　show
us　where　the　places　were。　We　wandered　around　from
street　to　street；　and　I　soon　discovered　that　she　was　keeping　me　away　from
them。　One　young　boy　said：　〃I'll　show　you　a　place。〃

I　came　to　one　dive。　I　lifted　my　hatchet　to　smash　the　door　and　this
woman　grabbed　at　my　hatchet　and　so　did　the　man。　He　slammed　the　door
and　left　his　hat　in　my　hand。　I　passed　on　down　to　the　〃Senate〃　saloon　and
went　in。　This　was　about　daylight。　The　bartender　ran　towards　me　with
a　yell；　wrenched　my　hatchet　out　of　my　hand　and　shot　off　his　pistol　toward
the　ceiling；　he　then　ran　out　of　the　back　door；　and　I　got　another　hatchet
from　a　lady　with　us。　I　ran　behind　the　bar；　smashed　the　mirror　and　all
the　bottles　under　it；　picked　up　the　cash　register；　threw　it　down；　then
broke　the　faucets　of　the　refrigerator；　opened　the　door　and　cut　the　rubber
tubes　that　conducted　the　beer。　Of　course　it　began　to　fly　all　over　the
house。　I　threw　over　the　slot　machine；　breaking　it　up　and　I　got　from
it　a　sharp　piece　of　iron　with　which　I　opened　the　bungs　of　the　beer
kegs；　and　opened　the　faucets　of　the　barrels；　and　then　the　beer　flew　in
every　direction　and　I　was　completely　saturated。　A　policeman　came　in
and　very　good…naturedly　arrested　me。　For　this　I　was　fined　100　and　put
in　jail。　Mr。　Cook　was　sheriff　and　I　was　treated　very　nicely　by　him　and
Mrs。　Cook。　Mrs。　Cook's　mother　was　visiting　them　at　this　time；　a　woman
thoroughly　in　sympathy　with　my　work；　and　I　believe　that　the　influence　of
this　good　woman　was　the　cause　of　my　being　treated　so　well；　for　after
she　left　things　were　very　different。

That　republican　conspiracy　in　Topeka　determined　to　put　me　in　the
insane　asylum。　One　of　them；　Judge　Magaw；　swore　on　the　witness　stand
that　he　believed　me　insane。　His　examination　brought　out　the　fact　that　I
compelled　him　to　turn　some　obscene　pictures　to　the　wall　once；　when　I
called　to　see　him　in　hi