Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1900-07-18
"Mr. Kirk, we are of the opinion that

YORK; lLLE. =.
"Mr. Kirk, we are of the opinion that
this fire was incendiary."
"How Is thatT 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 it."
Then different ones began to whisper
their suspicious.
The next day. while Malcom 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 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 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 few
minutes after Dorothy had left the par
sonage.
1t was now 10 o'clock. The crowd at
the corner by the postofice grew every
minute larger and more threatening.
Groups Of men stood surrounding some
speaker who urged lynching as the
only satisfactory punishment for such
a 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.
bugr rose from many voices. AS soon
as the crowd saw him it surrounded
him excitedly.
"Mr. Kirk, we've proof that Big
Jake set fire to your church"
Malcolm 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, he
let his own personal plans so 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 at
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 box
near one Of the stores, and Malcom
Kirk asked some of the men to drag 1t
out to the corner Of the sidewalk. The
minute he had mounted 1t the crowd
became silent.
1t is a rare gift to be able to speak to
q great crowd Of men out Of doors and
hold them. Kirk possessed that gift.
His voice was splendid instrument,
and he knew how to use 1t. 1t is said
of Gladstone that in the days Of his
greatest power as a speaker people
would linger in the corridors OF the
house of commons when he was talk
ing simply to enjoy the sound OF the
tone Of his voice, although they could
not distinguish a word that was said.
Something Of this same quality made
Kinks voice fascination for an audi
ence Whatever 1t was it could truly
be called great gift Of God.
And he used it now in godlike man
ner. He began by calling attention to
the fact that the people Of the state
were trying to abolish the saloon by
legislative amendment to the constitu-
ton. At such q time as that, for the
temperance people to act In a lawless
manner toward even the enemies OF
the home and the church would be an
act of folly so great that 1t might en-
danger the entire movement for prohi-
bition.
II am perhaps" continued Malcom,
1.-The most interested person In this
whole matter. 1t Is my church that
has been burned and my home that has
been destroyed. And yet I say to you
men that If you attempt to use violence
toward Big Jake or any other saloon
keeper on the ground Of this circum-
stantial evidence and take the law into
your own hands ! will defend him
from such violence at the risk Of my
own life. Let us act like men in this
matter-like men who zee further than
personal vengeance and are determin-
ed that our fight shall be directed not
against the saloon keeper so much as
against the business he represents.
That is what we want to fight for In
behalf Of all our homes and churches
and our state and country"
He got down off the box after he had
spoken and appealed in quiet but
powerful manner to some Of the more
influential men in the crowd not to
let the men act lawlessly. His speech
md anneal had their effect. A small