The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1876-08-17
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EatEcsn Committee ot leuhfN wanna
were troubled 20 SET competent speakof'
who woald dare address lhc mincls in
ta8 Molly Msgnrc coal districts. Around
P1ievlle q was absolutely dapgcrou
for amy mau q make 4 speech 10 favor 81
tlc Republican candidates some one
snggesed Miss plekchsou's name, as sbe
was becoming famous She was looked
upoa Is poor eir used 70 lhc bard.
ship. q travel aud they offered hcr Do
Goa mine district to practice on, She
needed money aud accepted, The brave
aud chiyalfous gentlemen who elaimed
10 represent the Intelligence and morality
cf Pennsylvania laughed among them
selves, and called tie bargais good
Joke No man could be hired to enter
The dangerous region aud make telling
speech. The poor girl packed her soauty
f wardrobe and started FOR The seat Of war.
/ On the cars she had al intimation that
She was going 10 peril her lite, Il not lose
/ it Strange TO say, just before the train
reached The town whero she was going
to speak, member Of the committee
repented, and tolcgiaphed her to return,
4 lie urged that the risk was TOO great
4 She reflected a moment and said to her
self That the cause was Just Some one
must make the sacrifice. II she returned
J the defeat would be hers. She might as
well lay down her life for her principles
/ irst as last She crumpled The dispatch
into her pocket aud went on. Those
who have not been in the back mining
towns Of the anthracite coal regions can
have little idea of tho dangers that iniest
that locality IN times Of political excite
mcnt Hundreds Of men are thrown IN
the pits every year, or assassipated IL
the minee, aud only vague, horrible rn-
mors reach the valleys below. a mining
town has no police, no refuge for the
stranger who does not agree with the
men who furnish light for the world
The places Of public meeting are dark,
dismal aud black with coal dust The
miners crowd in til the benches and
floor are packed with them.
When Miss Dickinson reached the
place where she was TO speak, The hall
was filed with a motley crowd. Il was
with difficulty that she made her way 10
the speakers stand. A dark mass Of up
mrned faces stared at her in silence, She
began Not muscle moved. But when
she made n point in favor Of tho war aud
he Union, they broke into sneers and
insulting epitbets. With solemn and
diguifed demeanor, she hurled back ar
gument after argument mingled With
sarcasm, that moved them TO sileuc0.-
The scene was strangely impressive.
There she stood, a young girl among Q
thousand rough and brutal men. She
felt that 20 leave the bali alive she rnas'
conquer them. Tho dark faces grew
pale as her eloquenco Increased, ana the
strugglo between her mind and theirs
was 80 terrible and painful that She once
tHpuS Nv hHS Nos ENibb " a'NH t'i'fANA - i
her brain.
Suddenly a powerful, thick-set man,
a leader of the desperadoes raised him
self from the floor and hoarsely cried
Stop where you are or will shoot you
dead, and be pointed the muzzle of bis
revolver toward her face.
Every eye 10 the house was fixed on
the girl, who continued speaking while
she looked with undaunted gaze into the
five chambers of death.
The last warning, he said. One.
t-g-o, t-h-r-e e--baug.
The bullet entered the wall about two
feet from her head. She saw that her
supreme hour had come. She never fal.
tered, but with cleuehed hands and in
spircd face she poured ont the eoquenoe
Of her soul for her country and the men
who were fighting for it.
There wa. a brief, ominous pa0se, then
the man slowly raised bis weapon agaio
This time shail take sure aim. ! I
give you another chance. One-two
three
The bali passed 20 near her face That
she fen the wind fit, but With mighty 4
effort She stood unmoyed aud tr voice
rang with terrible psibos suppressed 4
bresthings OF tbe li.tcuers coud be heard \
az he end oi her sentences, bat neither
the bully nor the speaker finched .
strange aud awful calmness came over
her aud her eyes blazed fire. Some oi
The miners rose to their feet, bnt ber
sublime genius translxed them TO the
spot
Oace mote lhe man with the revolver
slowly raised his arm sgain and deadly
palor came to his face lie pointed Tue
cooked pistol directly into The young gir's
face
This lime | shall shoot you dead One
-two-thrce. With The crash Of the /
explosion lock Of curly black bair leil
from her head to be floor, bu, hef voice
never broke. Ay God, boys, tbsl wo-
man speaks be truth.
IN an instant twenty men were around I
her, with tbo bully Al their head They +
cauied her through the Town a Il he
were some superior briug insi sens down
from Heaven, and they took solemn
oath 70 killt lirst maa st5 laid hands .
on i,er
----ss a----fse
a geutemaB inquired ~ DE Young +