第 25 节
作者:
谁与争疯 更新:2021-02-19 00:36 字数:9319
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 his office。
I had received ever so many letters from all over the country justifying
smashing as being reasonable; right and legal。 I also saw that the
republican newspapers of Kansas and other states were determined to
put me in a false light before the people。 I conceived the idea of editing
a paper。 I tried to get the Journal to edit the paper; but it seemed
that I could not get anyone to take hold of it。 Some one suggested to
me Nick Chiles; a negro; who had a printing outfit。 I knew but little of
this man。 I sent for him to come and see me at my cell。 All the money
I had in the world was from the sale of ten cows which was 240。 This
negro; Chiles talked very fair and promised to print my paper in a
creditable way。 I gave him the 240。 I wrote the editorials while in
the jail; and also gave him bundles of letters which I had received and
a great many poems that had been written on Carry Nation and smashing。
This negro finally cheated me out of my money and papers also。
I closed with him af