Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1899-08-05

ana was indicted Tor disturbing The
services. The jury convicted me, but
was never fined or imprisoned Con
gresham Anderson defended me ant
when the Judge overruled his motion
to set aside the verdict, he said that he
supposed that it was unlawful for mar
to go to church who was more than 6
feet and one.half high
At Erbacon | met lady who is now
the wife of Rev. A G. Ellison, who re.
i sides in Braxton County She told me
the following interesting
STORY
In 1883 | was living with the family
OF Ballard Conrad, clerk OF the county
count at Addison.
/ At that time one Charles Duffy, rel
alive of ex-auditor Pat Duffy, was run
ming an open saloon of the very worst
kind. The saloon stood near the Bap-
( tist church, of which was then mem
| Der. Our prayer meetings had often
been interrupted by the carousals at
tie saloon, and l had thought about II
I a good bit, and prayed the Lord to re-
move the evil from the town
/ While | was praying one day the Lord
impressed me that / must burn that sa.
/ loon. | studied over it for several DAYS
and became convinced that it was my
duty to burn it. because it was running
all the young men Of the town, and
causing great amount OF sorrow and
trouble.
/ On Thursday, June 10, 1888, | prepar-
ed my kindling and poured oil over it,
ready to use. That night / went to
prayer meeting and after everybody had
gone to bed, and the saloon had been
iaff. sol h., Il !
fire to IT. | waited to see that it would
burn, and then went back to bed
The light from the burning building
| shone into my room after awhile, and
| got up and awakened the family.
The alarm soon spread over the town
and the people came out, but the saloon
the church was saved, although the side
next to the saloon was scorched
The next morning | was tracked int
my room. | had taken my shoes of
and the mud was still ON the stockings
had worn.
In the afternoon | was arrested and
taken to the court house, but Mr.. Con.
rad and number Of other men gave 6
bond for me and | was released.
At the next circuit court | was indict
ed and in November following my trial
had. The citizens engaged Col. Burns
OF Charleston, and l.. d. Strader, Of
! Beverly, and all the lawyers of the Ad.
Olson bar volunteered to defend me.
Ny lawyers made the plea that was
insane on the subject of religion. And
they proved that | would sing and shout
at my work, and that my mother before
/ was born was shouting Methodist
/ When | came on the witness stand / told
the prosecuting attorney, who is now ex-
/ Congressman Anderson. that | set fire to
the saloon. And when he asked me
why did it, / told him that the Lord
had told me to do it. and it was my duty
to obey him, and save the young men
of Addison from drunkenness. He ask
ed me if | did not know that they would
send me to the penitentiary i told him
was willing to go; they would let me out
again, and believed that he would. |
told him they could not put me where |
could not enjoy religion.
While | was talking Judge Brannon
turned his face to the wall and people
said that he wiped his eyes. And near
| ly everybody in the court house wept.
Col. Burns made fine speech in my
defense, and the jury did not agree upon
verdict | heard that Mr.. Thomas
Chips and Mr.. Allen Anderson would
not agree to convict me because they
said | had committed no crime.
/ gave a new bond and the case was
continued for few courts and then dis
missed, and | was told that j was free.
| Mr. Duffy died drunk few months
after the saloon was burned and there
has never been saloon in Addison
since"
am staying with one of the attorneys
who assisted in Miss Fannie Fishers
defense that was her maiden name =
and he corroborates all OF these state
ments. And quite a number have spo-
ken OF it also, and all say the same
thing. Fannie Fisher was known as a
devoted Christian girl, and nobody
doubted her word And many people
regard her as having been inspired by
| to Lord to burn that saloon.
In future letter | may give descrip-
tion OF this village, but just now | must
go and take drink. ]. A BARNES.
| am deriving great deal of benefit,
think, from this water.