The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1843-10-13


ing fever, he was induced TO sign lI,rem.
perance Pledge. which he kept fo,;gJ.
teen months. During this time hsns;.
ness prosPered, reputation returned, m.
lily comfortable and happy, and eIv
thing bid fair for joyful and prospers,
life. But alas for poor Booth, the tenn.
er came, he yielded, and fell into tn
hands OF his enemies, and great and aw.
full was the fall thereof. AS soon as it
was known by our ever vigilant and unit
rlng Washingtonians, his case was imme-
dIaiely taken in hand. Mr.. John Greer,
whose feelings and generous soul could
not ndIlerenty behold man, neigh
Dor, friend, go down to destruction, with
out putting forth these efforts which have
characterized him, flew to his rescue.
He found him in the street near one of
those dens of infamy and death, accosted
him in friendly manner, inquired where
he was going-'none Of your business"
was the reply, pretending not to know
him. Now" Mr.. Booth, said Mr.. Greer,
"where you go shall go-if you stay in
a rum hole, so will II will not leave you
to be destroyed and ruined thus. Upon
this a poor deuded victim of the rumsel-
lers, who was with him, broke forth in a
great ragc-wth an oath threatened VEN
geance upon Mr.. Greer, swore he should
be whipped.-"Well," says Mr.. Greer,
sit will take good many RUNNERS to do
that come on, do your best, | shall not
leave Booth" In spite of all their threats
and prosecutions, he chung to Booth and
took HIM to his house, and there kept him
until midnight and then took him home.
The next morning he was off as soon as
daylight, and Mr.. Greer on his track, but
was concealed from Mr.. Greer and could
not be found until Saturday morning
about ten o'clock. Then found him in an
apartment belonging to most degraded
and unlicensed rum hole, kept by Mr..
Glover, but with great difficulty. The
rumseller denied several times that he
was on his premises knowing that he had
some money and was loath to let him 90
until he had obtained it all y until lie was
told by his (the rumseller's) wife, and
wished him to take that drunken man
away. for she was sick and tired of see
ing him around the house. lie was then
shown the apartment wherein he was
concealed, and Immediately went and
opened the door, took him on! and con-
Quoted him home and while Mr.. Greer
was walking with him, he began to rea-
son with him, and asked him wha, he
thought would be his situation if he
should be called to the bar of God Il
should be lost-eternaly LOST" was his
answer, and burst into food of tears
and after conducting him safely home, he
was there but short time when he be-
came uneasy, wished TO go out, appeared
chagrined and mortified to the very soul,
complained Of burning thirst that was
scorching him to death. Mr.. Greer
tried to dissuade him from going out
took hold Of him--held him for while,
until he got greatly enraged, and Mr.
Greer deemed it prudent TO let him GO
he went out and Mr.. Greer followed him
in the street and used all kinds of aflec
tionate entreaties, but all to no purpose.
Destruction appeared to be his object,
and Mr.. Greer seeing that all his admonI-
ton was frutless, he bid him good by.
He went Immediately to the shed above
the lower bridge, there Invested himself
of every particle of clothes, plunged in
and swan to the middle of the river, then
started down-was called to from the
bridge and warned of his danger. He
swan with ease, and appeared not to be
determined upon drowning.-The peo-
pie who saw him knew he could reach
the shore if he wished, and were not
alarmcd-he finally began to approach
the Manchester shore, but turned sudden
" from it-went over the dam and there
the people became alarmed and flew TO his
aid. Two men whose names are I'M
known plunged in and dove after him,
but he was gone. gone for ever lie was
found on Monday about three miles down
the river and brought and buried in the
Methodist grave yard. The bitter agony
and heart rending cries of his poor wife
were distressing indeed. She iuplored
our assistance with such tones and such
looks that cannot easily be forgotten.
Should we not take warning by this
awful fate, and avoid the sin, misery and
awful death which rum is destined to
bring its victim to?
JOSEPH TODD, cor. sec.
Praising Bdbies.-A contemporary re-
MARKS that people who are resolved to
please always, at all events, frequently