The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-03-30
SHE sINNED. BUT LET her GO.

The Topeka authorities imprisoned,
day before yesterday, woman 50 years
old, by the name of Rosetta HatOx, for
selling beer. She didn't keep a joint,
but sold it in her poor little home to buy
bread for herself and for her husband.
who is still older and more decrepid
than herself Neither of them are able
to work. When she was asked in court
equity or not guilty." she looked around
her ia dazed, helpless sort of way, SO
the Journal says, and made no answer.
Whereupon the court asked her If she
had sold Intoxicating liquors. She an
swered that she had sold beer, where
upon she was locked up. being unable
to procure bonds, leaving her helpless hus-
band at their home alone. 1t was very
wicked in her to violate the law, especially
the one particular law, but we suggest
in view of this poor old destitute
woman's ignorance, who in all probabil-
ity did not sell on an average one keg
out of the hundreds sold every week In
that city, that Rev. Embree, who pre-
vailed upon the governor to pardon those
church member druggists of Hiawatha,
who were convicted of selling regular
burning red liquor, to call on the gov
ernor in behalf Of this gray-haired wife
who has been mother The poor old
white headed lady is guilty beyond a
doubt, but when she was girl. seventy
five years ago, back in her native land.
beer was held to be no more harmful
than coffee or tea, and the impressions
OF youth and education are SO
hard to eradicate. OF course we
admire the action of the To-
peka officers, who in acquitting con-
science, know neither age or Sex. ard
we realize how very large element OF
the state will applaud this noble dis
charge of stern duty, while the name of
Topeka will again be heralded about and
over the prairies AS aigh example II
exceptional veneratioa and reverence
for law, as in the case OF little Fred Ort-
mon, now in his pauper's grave, beyond
the reach of the stars and law. except
these that shine in the skies where judg-
mentG are tempered with the under
standing mercy of Him who having
made man knows lis weakness; still,
and in spite of the criticism that this
article may call forth we would ask
the people of Topeka to let that poor
old woman go, let her out, free her from
those criminal restraining walls, even
if she has to be furnished bread until
she can find something else to do besides
selling beer. In the final Judgment of
humanity by the One who can make no
mistakes it may prove case of "belng
in prison and ye visited Me" Maybe
poor Rosetta Hattox, after all, is not the
only one who has been selling beer
In prohibition Kansas. not the only one
who has drank it to stop the cravings
of hunger. 1t may be that the Sunday
law, a much more sacred and higher law
than any ever enacted by body of men
not above being accused of demagogy,
hypocracy and boodling, has, together
with numberless other laws been ig-
nored and violated by intelligent and ro
bust Kansans in The prime of life. Ii
such thing is probable or even possible,
then consider the age, the education.
the infirmity Of this poor, weak old wo-
man who in land of strangers of excep-
tional purity and exaltedness, and in her
ignorance, could not comprehend the
demand of guilty or not guilty" and
let her go; in the name of humanity and
its loving Creator, let her go.