The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1900-07-13

this nre was 1ncenQlary.
"How is that" asked Malcom, rous-
ing up little.
''The first seen of 1t was In the tow
er. Now. the fire from the prairie
could not possibly have caught up
there. Some one must have set 1t"
Then different ones began to whisper
their suspicious.
The next day, while Malcolm and
Dorothy were staying with one Of the
church members who took them Into
his home. the rumor grew that the fire
was the work of the whisky men.
Down on the street excited groups Of
men gathered that evening, discussing
the matter. Every one knew that NAL
com Kirk had fought the saloons from
the first day Of his entrance into Con-
rad. He was feared and hated by
them more than any one else. He had
succeeded to a large degree in getting
the other churches to act together in
the agitation now going on all over the
state. He was already noted for his
leadership throughout the county and
had written and spoken on every possi-
BILE occasion for the proposed prohibi-
tory amendment.
So there was reason In the suspicion
held by the citizens. As the evening
wore on proof of a certain saloon mans
guilt seemed almost sure. Two or
three persons had seen him coming out
Of the parsonage yard that afternoon
of the fire. A child had seen the same
man on the steps Of the church a few
minutes after Dorothy had left the par
sonage.
1t was now 10 o'clock. The crowd at
the corner by the postoffice grew every
minute larger and more threatening.
Groups Of men stood surrounding some
speaker who urged lynching as the
only satisfactory punishment for such
crime. The citizens were exasperat-
ed and nervous from the great strain
Of the last two days.
Malcom Kirk came down town late
that night to get the mail from the
east bound express and walked into the
mob just as cries of Lynch the fire.
bugW rose from many voices. As soon
as the crowd saw him 1t surrounded
him excitedly.
'Mr. Kirk, we've proof that big
Jake set fire to your church."
Malcom looked over the crowd a
moment in silence. He had not been
| thinking SO much about the loss of his
church and parsonage as he came down
town as about Dorothy and his future
prospects. But the sight and sound Of
that mob of citizens brought his mind
back to the situation not only in the
town Of Conrad, but throughout the en-
tire state. For the time, therefore, be
let his own personal plans go as he
faced the fact of a grave crisis In the
| temperance movement
He had more than one Sunday even
ing held outdoor services at the very
corner where the crowd now gathered
| Dorothy had often helped him al
| such services by playing and singing
| Every man in Conrad was familiar
with the tall, homely, awkward figure
that now lowered over almost every
head, and every man in Conrad re
| spected him.
| There was an empty dry goods boz
near one of the stores, and Malcon
Kirk asked some Of the men to drag Il
out to the corner Of the sidewalk. Tht
minute he had mounted 1t the Grove
became silent.
1t Is rare gift to be able to speak Il
a great crowd Of men out Of doors and
hold them. Kirk possessed that gift
His voice was a splendid instrument
and he knew how to use 1t. It Is sai(
Of Gladstone that in the days Of hi
greatest power as q speaker peOpl'
| would nnger in the corridors of tn
house Of commons when he was talk
ing simply to enjoy the sound of tn
tone of his voice, although they coult
not distinguish q word that was said
Something Of this same quality mad
Kinks voice q fascination for an audi
ence. Whatever it was it could trul.
be called great gift of God.
And he used it now in a godlike man
ner. He began by calling attention t.
the fact that the people Of the stat
were trying to abolish the saloon b.
legislative amendment to the constitu
ton. At such time as that, for tn
temperance people to act In lawles
manner toward even the enemies o
the home and the church would be al
act Of folly SO great that 1t might en-
danger the entire movement for prohl
bition.
'T am perhaps" continued Malcolm
"the most interested person in thi
whole matter. 1t Is my church tina
has been burned and my home that ha
been destroyed. And yet I say to 20,
men that if you attempt to use violenc
toward Big Jake or any other salool
keeper on the ground of this circum
stantial evidence and take the law int
your own hands l will defend hin
from such violence at the risk Of m,
own life. Let us act like men in thi
matter-like men who see further thai
personal vengeance and are determin
ed that our fight shall be directed no
against the saloon keeper SO much a
against the business he represents
That is what we want to fight for 4
behalf of all our homes and churche
and our state and country"
He got down off the box after he ha
spoken and appealed in a quiet bu
. powerful manner to some of the NOR
influential men in the crowd not t
!, let the men act lawlessly. His speec
i. and appeal had their effect. A smal
group Of men on the edge Of the crow
, gathered farther up the street, and af,
er Kirk had gone home they marche
up to big Jake's" saloon, only to fin
1t closed and the proprietor fed.
l -
CHAPTER K.
, DOROTHY PROVES HERsELF HELPMEE1
NEXT dav MalcOm Kirk had the me