Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1893-12-02
A TOUCHING STORY.
One That Ought to Move the Hardest
Heart.


BILE one Sabbath morning when was
called to my door-by the ring of the
bell. There stood boy about IA
years of age, poorly clad, but tidied
up as best he could.
He was leaning upon crutches, one
leg off at the knee. In voice trem-
bling with emotion, and tears cou~s-
ing down his checks, be said: "Mr.
Hoagland, | am Freddie Brown. I
have come to see if you will go to
the jail and talk and pray with my
father. He is to be hung to-mor-
row Tor the murder of my mother.
MY father was good man but whis-
key did it. have three little sisters
younger than myself. We are very.
very poor and have no friends. We
live in back alley in a dark and
dingy room. l do the best I can to
support my sisters by selling papers,
blacklng boots, and odd jobs but,
Mr.. Hoagland, We are awfully poor.
Will you come and be with us when
fathers body is brought home (? The
governor says we may have his body
after he is hung.'
was deeply moved to pity. 1
promised and made haste to the Jail.
where l found this father.
He acknowledged that he must
have murdered his wife, but he had
not the slightest remembrance of the
deed. He said he was crazed with
drink or he never would have COM
mitted the crime. He said, any
wife was a good woman and faithful
mother to my little children. Never
did l dream that my hand could he
guilty of such q crime" The man
could face the penalty of the law
bravely for his deed, but he broke
down and cried as If his heart would
break, when he thought of leaving
his children in destitute and friend
less condition. I read and prayed
with him and left him to his fate.
The next day ] made my way to
the miserable quarters of these chill
dren. / found three little girls upon
a bed of straw in one corner of the
room. They were clad in rags.
They were beautiful girls Lad they
had the proper care. They were ex-
pecting the body of their dead father
and between their soIs they would
say, Papa was good, but whiskey
did it,"
In little time two strong officers
came, bearing the body of the dead
father in rude pine box. They sat
it down on two rickety old stools.
The cries of the children were SO
heartrendering that they could not
endure it and made haste out of the
room, leaving me alone with the ter
rible scene.
In moment the manly boy nerv-
ed himself and said, "Come, sisters,
kiss papa S face before ii is cold.'
They gathered about the face,
smoothed it down with kisses, ard
between their sobs cried out: aPapa
was good, but whiskey did it."
Papa was good, but whiskey did
it,
raised my heart to God and said:
90, God, did / fight to save coun-
try that would derive revenue from
traffic that would make one scene
possible like this possible ~ In my
heart said: & In the whole history
of this accursed traffic there has not
been enough revenue derived to pay
for one such scene as this. The wife
and mother murdered, the father
hung, the children outraged, home
destroyed" / there promised God
that / would vote to save my coun-
try from the rule of the rum dig
archy. / there promised that pc
litical party should never again have
my vote that was to cowardly to de-
clare for absolute, nncompromising
prohibition. There is but one such
party, and vote that ! may finish
the work at the ballot box. A sys-
tenn OF government that derived It's
revenue from results such as are seen
In this touching picture must either
change its course OF e,unless Gods