The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-10-10
NATURAL LAW DEFIED.
Twelve Missouri Women Have Kept a
Secret for Seven Years.

Kansas City Journal.
1t has been left for Missouri women to
disprove the correctness of the old adage
that women cannot keep a secret It is a
matter of record in Missouri that for near
ly eight years a dozen women have kept
secret and kept it well. Time after time they
have bafled the most persistent and in
genious efforts to gain possession of the
coveted information.
1t was on Feb. Z, 1890, that the w. c. Il.
L. women of Lathrop, Mo-, after an hour
of prayer over the subject, marched up the
MAIN street of the city and demolished
couple of saloons that were being operated
in opposition to law and public sentiment.
The first one visited was run by Tom
Achoff. The women found the door locked
and some one of the dozen that stood in the
doorway smashed the big glass with a rock
and unlocked the door. With the sound OF
smashing glass the women became im5ued
with the desire to destroy the ginmill and
they did it with such completeness that their
work stands unrivaled to the present day.
John A. Cross, prosecuting attorney of the
county, lived in Lathrop, and he vowed he
would see that all violators were punished.
He caused the arrest of seventy-eight peo-
pie, and for nearly two years spared no eff
fort to ascertain who 1t was that smashed
the window. He is persistent and ingenious.
but all the work he and his assistants could
do availed nothing. He was wholly unable
to gain possession of the information. He
got the name of every man and woman who
was near the door, his assistants resorted
to all the eXpedients known to experienced
and astute practitioners, every piece of VIII
lage gossip was gathered up, every remark
that might yield a clew was followed up, but
all to no avail. The criminal suits We're
fought to finish, the civil suits he brought
for the keepers of the ginmills We're tried
and he lost, and finally the statute or lmi-
tation ran against the offense, but Cross
was never able to prove in court who It was
that broke the glass. He charged all who
were present with the offenSe, but at no
time did he ever attempt to make the spe-
cifc charge against anyone, and establish
the fact by testimony
After the ginmils were looted the women
gathered at the home of one or the mem
heTs. There were over thirty of them. Each
one was asked If she knew who broke the
glass and the twelve who did held a short
star chamber session. Just what transpired
a that meeting is not known outside eX-
cept that a pledge was made that under no
circumstances would the name be given in
court or elsewhere. They would all stand to-
gether The secret was to be locked within
their breasts, That was over seven years
ago and the secret has never been betrayed.
The compact is as binding to-day as then
Twelve Women have kept a secret for seven
years when they have all been on trial in
the State courts. charged with the malicious
destruction of personal property: Had one
been willing to turn States evidence the
case would have been dropped as against
her. bat in the face of danger they stood
together. They had joined hands in prom
Use and not a link in the chain proved UNI
worthy. 1t bafiied an attorney who had not
counted on such persistence. 1t aided ma
terially in securing an acquitral for the
women.
In the flush of victory following the raid
on the ginmills. when every woman was in
terViewed by a dozen reporters, not word
was ever spoken so that the most ingenious
and ventuIesOme reporter could hazard a
guess az to who broke the glass. The pre-
caution of guarding the secret was taken be-
fore any legal advice had been sought. 1t
was a piece of woman's tact and the jealous
guard kept over il shows what a dozen
women can do when they decide on a GER
tain thing.