The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-02-18
USE Their HA ATC.sT.

Sunday morning the crowd began gath
ering. quietly and orderly. but with
plans fully laid and determined that
they should be carried out. The rendez-
vous was the east steps of the state
house There the men and women be-
longing to the different organizations
assembled until at o'clock 250 people
ridor awaiting the order to move upon
the places where it was supposed liquor
was kept
MRS. NATION ARRIVES
At 6 O'Clock the leader. Mrs. Nation.
appeared and the line was Immediately
formed I'm front was company III Of the
secret law enforcement organization,
composed Of men: beside them were
members of the Home Defenders Be
hind these We're college students ana
others favorable to the crusade
All We're armed with reyolverss CLUBS
axes or hatchets- Four men carried an
immense battering-ram. u by II inches
in width and thickness and seven feet
long. At each end handles had been
made by boring holes and putting SUCKS
or iron rods through them. This ram
was operated by five men.
THE COLUMN MOVES.
At Clio the column moved eastward
from the state house on Ninth to Kan
sas avenue From there they went
north to Sixth. Not a word was said,
regular tramp of the crusaders broke the
stiffness of the early morning At sixth
the column turned east and advanced
until within a short distance OF the
New Brunswick billiard parlor at Ill
The crowd halted for just moment
Mrs. Nation, who had been in the lead
thus far asked quietly:
s'Is this the placer"
sAThis is the place" replied several
ssThen smash iti" she cried. as she
rushed forward followed by the crowd
With her hatchet she began denolishing
the front windows, shouting to her 1ol-
lowers to do likewise
She had not struck the window many
times before two policemen rushed IN
and tried to stop the work, saving they
We're there to preserve peace.
The officers seized Mrs. Nation, and
though they stopepd her she still di-
rected the work. shouting above all the
uproar and sound Of falling glass;
Keeping on smashingi Keep on
smashingl The Lord bless you! Go on;
go on!"
BY this time officers Hendricks and
Carpenter had started with her to the
police station.
Other policemen came up to stop the
destruction, but it was useless They
were quickly brushed away from the
door by the smashers bent on getting in
side. The five men With the DdtterlhS-
ram made ready. and with a run struck
the door, bursting it wide open Men
and women sWarmed in through the
door and began venting their 1ury on
the furniture and goods In front was
a cigar showcase The glass OF this was
broken partly through accident; the
tobacco was scattered
SMASH A SLOT MACHINE
Farther back were a number Of bill
lizard tables and a big Dewey money slot
machine. One Of the tables was attack
ed and the crusaders with hatchets rain
ed blows upon it until the cloth top was
torn away and the edges We're in splint-
ers The slot machine which was one o.
the large kind was broken to pieces Its
cost was probably $3.50.
Still farther back in the room half
case of beer bottles was found, and de-
stroyed- with axes and hatchets- Through
the rear door Of the building the crowd
went and broke into coal house Notn-
ing in the way of liquor was found tnere-
the men and women proceeded to finish
what was left inside the hall, except the
billiard tables. All Of them save one
We're untouched The place seems to have
been run by Frank Murphy, though none
Of the men connected with It We're pres
ent at the time of the smashing The
building was all in darkness when the
crusaders began the attack and the
lights were turned on after they enter
From this place some of the party
went across the street to number 116, oc-
cupied BY the Unique restaurant, with
the intention of destroying the place; but
only one blow was struck and that only
glass window. Mrs. Nation was gone
and the want of a leader was sadly felt
The line was formed and the crowd
marched east to Quincy and south to
Ninth and then over to the state house
grounds. Here an argument followed be-
tween the members Of the crowd as TO
what further course should be pursued
There was a collision between DR.. Eva
Harding who wanted to keep up the
work and Rev +. W. Emerson, who did
aCome on. let's smash the Apex" said
some one
That's right" was the reply Of 9TH
ers
But some of the men objected and
placed themselves in front of the women
begging Don't 60 any farther You
have gone far enough
The main body of raiders then return
ed to Kansas avenue and after a short
halt moved north to the Murphy place
on East Sixth
The women led by Miss Madeline
Southland started in again. remarlxing
that they wanted ITO see what you are
doing in there. whether you are selling
any more liquor or not"
You can't go in" replied the police
and with that they pushed back the wo-
men and the door was locked.
MRS NATION. RALLIES FORCES
Let's go through the Apex again
suggested Miss Southard- But before
scarcely anything could be said Mrs. Ma
ton came running up the street shout
ing. Come on women, follow me- What
do you mean by giving UP like this
The party composed Of about 25 men
and women started west on Sixth intend
ing to go to Moeser's cold storage But
Mrs. Nation soon gave the command to
turn and go to the barn at 406 East
Sixth where she believed liquor was
stored
Mrs. Nations hatchet had been taken
from her by the police and she secured
4 piece of a dry goods box on the way
&
Nation addressed one of the employees
saying. Now we want to go through
this barn and find if there is any liquor
stored here Don't anyone harm any
thing else in this barn. she commanded
her followers. mot so much as a strap
A thorough search was made on the
lower floor but nothing was found. A
colored eTnploye of the barn objected to
- i.