The Use and Need of the Life of Carrie A. Nation [53]
I was there, and came to my
cell and told me that it was true about their conversion.
Oh! the sad hearts behind the bars! Oh! the injustice! I am glad
I have been a prisoner for one thing, I never see a face behind the bars
that my heart does not pity. I have heard so many tales of ruined lives;
have seen men with muscles and brain, bowed into tears. Oh, if we
would only love each other more; if we would feel as Paul: "To owe
love to all we meet, and pay the debt. 'Tis the most pleasant debt to
pay and the indebtedness blesses both parties, especially the one who
pays." I used to think that birth and other circumstances made one person
better than another. I do not see it that way now. The man with
many opportunities is not entitled to as much consideration as one with
fewer. I am the defender of the one who needs help most. The great
need of the world is Love.
CHAPTER IX.
OUT OF JAIL.--EGGS AND STONE.--SMASHING STILLING'S JOINT AT ENTERPRISE.--
WHIPPED BY HIRED PROSTITUTES.--PLOT AT HOLT BY HOTEL KEEPER
AND JOINTIST TO POISON AND SLUG ME.--AT CONEY ISLAND.--HAND
BROKEN AND HANDCUFFS.
I got out of Wichita jail about the last week in January, 1901, under
a writ of habeas corpus. I got bail,--I forget who went my bail, but God
bless them; and left on the evening train about seven o'clock.
While in jail I got a letter asking me to come to Enterprise, Dickinson
County, and break up saloons there. I said the name ENTERPRISE,
is good and I will go; so I left jail with the intention of going there.
It was dark when I started for the train. Many of the Salvation Army
were near me. The streets were almost impassable, and the whole city
seemed to be on the streets marching down to the station, yelling and
laughing.
Many said: "Are you not afraid?" Perfect love casteth out all fear
I love the people, I do not fear them.
There walked by my side, a man keeping the crowd back. "Are you
one of the Salvation Army?" I said to him.
He said: "No, I am only a tin horn gambler."
I asked him: "Why do you seem to be such a friend of mine."
He answered: "Because I intend that no one shall hurt you, for
you are a good woman, and I will see you safe. They all know me, and
they will not hurt you." He carried my valise and put me on the train.
There were several thousand at the depot and the crowding was
dangerous. I wanted to see the crowd, so I raised the window, waved
my hand and as the train pulled out, the eggs began to come; the window
fell down and I did not get a spatter. God said: "I'll stand by you."
explains this. In two minutes a rock the size of my fist came crashing
in at the window; shivered the glass, and the rock fell down at my side;
which was a miracle. Not once did I feel alarmed but smiled; while all
the passengers were on their feet with fright.
I got to Enterprise at night. I stayed all night with Mrs. Hoffman
and next morning, I went down to a dive kept by a man named Stillings.
He had closed to go out to a baseball game. The door was locked, so I
broke the front glass and climbed in. Several ladies were on the outside,
and were friendly to my smashing. I broke the place up. There were
twelve cases of beer and I destroyed them and piled them up in the center
of the room on the floor. At the close, the marshal came in, took me out
and would not let me break up the other dive near by. Neither did he
arrest me.
I came down on the corner of the street that night, to tell the people
why I did this, when Stillings passed, cursing and shaking his fist at me,
saying: "My wife will settle you." Just then a furious woman came
around the corner, rushed up to me and struck me a fearful blow in the
eye, then ran to her husband, Stillings, and in a frantic manner said:
"I have done what you asked me, now let us go home." I stopped speaking
long enough to go into a meat shop and have a piece of fresh meat
bound on my eye, which was already very dark and painful. Then I
finished my address on the street, and went up to a meeting in the church,
gave
cell and told me that it was true about their conversion.
Oh! the sad hearts behind the bars! Oh! the injustice! I am glad
I have been a prisoner for one thing, I never see a face behind the bars
that my heart does not pity. I have heard so many tales of ruined lives;
have seen men with muscles and brain, bowed into tears. Oh, if we
would only love each other more; if we would feel as Paul: "To owe
love to all we meet, and pay the debt. 'Tis the most pleasant debt to
pay and the indebtedness blesses both parties, especially the one who
pays." I used to think that birth and other circumstances made one person
better than another. I do not see it that way now. The man with
many opportunities is not entitled to as much consideration as one with
fewer. I am the defender of the one who needs help most. The great
need of the world is Love.
CHAPTER IX.
OUT OF JAIL.--EGGS AND STONE.--SMASHING STILLING'S JOINT AT ENTERPRISE.--
WHIPPED BY HIRED PROSTITUTES.--PLOT AT HOLT BY HOTEL KEEPER
AND JOINTIST TO POISON AND SLUG ME.--AT CONEY ISLAND.--HAND
BROKEN AND HANDCUFFS.
I got out of Wichita jail about the last week in January, 1901, under
a writ of habeas corpus. I got bail,--I forget who went my bail, but God
bless them; and left on the evening train about seven o'clock.
While in jail I got a letter asking me to come to Enterprise, Dickinson
County, and break up saloons there. I said the name ENTERPRISE,
is good and I will go; so I left jail with the intention of going there.
It was dark when I started for the train. Many of the Salvation Army
were near me. The streets were almost impassable, and the whole city
seemed to be on the streets marching down to the station, yelling and
laughing.
Many said: "Are you not afraid?" Perfect love casteth out all fear
I love the people, I do not fear them.
There walked by my side, a man keeping the crowd back. "Are you
one of the Salvation Army?" I said to him.
He said: "No, I am only a tin horn gambler."
I asked him: "Why do you seem to be such a friend of mine."
He answered: "Because I intend that no one shall hurt you, for
you are a good woman, and I will see you safe. They all know me, and
they will not hurt you." He carried my valise and put me on the train.
There were several thousand at the depot and the crowding was
dangerous. I wanted to see the crowd, so I raised the window, waved
my hand and as the train pulled out, the eggs began to come; the window
fell down and I did not get a spatter. God said: "I'll stand by you."
explains this. In two minutes a rock the size of my fist came crashing
in at the window; shivered the glass, and the rock fell down at my side;
which was a miracle. Not once did I feel alarmed but smiled; while all
the passengers were on their feet with fright.
I got to Enterprise at night. I stayed all night with Mrs. Hoffman
and next morning, I went down to a dive kept by a man named Stillings.
He had closed to go out to a baseball game. The door was locked, so I
broke the front glass and climbed in. Several ladies were on the outside,
and were friendly to my smashing. I broke the place up. There were
twelve cases of beer and I destroyed them and piled them up in the center
of the room on the floor. At the close, the marshal came in, took me out
and would not let me break up the other dive near by. Neither did he
arrest me.
I came down on the corner of the street that night, to tell the people
why I did this, when Stillings passed, cursing and shaking his fist at me,
saying: "My wife will settle you." Just then a furious woman came
around the corner, rushed up to me and struck me a fearful blow in the
eye, then ran to her husband, Stillings, and in a frantic manner said:
"I have done what you asked me, now let us go home." I stopped speaking
long enough to go into a meat shop and have a piece of fresh meat
bound on my eye, which was already very dark and painful. Then I
finished my address on the street, and went up to a meeting in the church,
gave