The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-02-26
MINISTER'S
LEAD.
'Lychng For the
Kansas Rum
Sellers.
ARE ACCUSED OF
POISONING WELLS
The People Of Winfield Worked
Up to High Pitch by
Outrages.

Ill menaced 1.-THE peril of secret asSassl-
nation through the poisoning of wells
it registered VOW not to rest until ey-
Jerry saloon man in the city had been
driven from the town forever.
! If the saloon men would not consent
to go by the simple and easy route point
ed out to them by the Winfield Minis
ters' Association-now backed by the
solid business men, all of whom are IN
terested in the welfare and good name
OF the city-they will go by the short
route of G halter.
This is not a sentimental is the voice
lof the people-it is the calmly expressed
determination of men who are not quick
to anger. but whose wrath when once 1t
has been aroused, like a fire long smol-
dering beneath the ashes of a peaceful
usage, will assume the proportions OF a
lconf1agration.
The dangerous element appeared last
night when the .Rey. John Mayfield, one
of the most active members of the Min
listers Association, and one who is
known as relentless enemy of the sa-
lloons, was suddenly taken ill. The ply
lSIcians who We're summoned decided at
once that he had been poisoned, and adj
lminiStered antidoteS which doubtless saw
ed his life He was very weak this
morning, but was out of danger.
Investigation followed. Nothing which
he had eaten would give reason for his
sickness, unless it had been poisoned.
Then Mr.. Mayfield, it is said, remember
ed that some water from his well, of
which he had partaken shortly before
/ he was seized with cramps, tasted pecu-
liar. Samples of this water were obtain
ed and it is said the doctors ordered
the well sealed.
! Warnings were at once sent through
1.-THE town, particularly to those active in
"a al tn Otft
for their drinking water. The result
lcaused a great fright on the subject OF
drinking water. About all the bottled
spring water in the town has been
bought up by frightened householders.
and rumors of wholesale poisoning
spring UP on every hand to add to the
terrors.
| But it is not alone poison which mem
aces. Las, night the Fire Department
was called out five times to fight fire
started by incendiaries in houses or
| buildings occupied by temperance lea
guers. One of the fires was in the
Baptist parsonage occupied by the Rev.
Franz Lowth+r and family. Like the
Others, however, it was fortunately dis
covered in time.
| Although none of the fires far kin
died has been dangerous, they are a
promise and portent very alarming to
/ timid people. who fear that the next one
may not end SO happily.
I News of the attempt on the life OF the
Rev. Mr.. Mayfield <for SO his sickness Is
universally 5nterpreted) set the city In
an uproar. Men gathered in the streets
and in the stores and discussed the sit
nation in terms which augured no good
TO the friends of coRflagration and as
assassination.
Many citizens who have not been ia
sympathy with tine Mrs. Nation method
of purifying the city and upholding the
laws broken by the saloonists, changed
front today and declared that they
would join hands heartily with prohibi-
tionists in Kidding the city of men who
We're willing to descend to such meas
ures in backing up their business.
Before noon every gun in the hard
ware stores had been sold and citizens
appeared on the streets carrying weap-
ons. Not long before noon Winfield look
ed, upon the strange sight of a minister
of the gospel of peace walking the
streets with a gun over his shoulder and
supported by parishioners likewise arm
| ed with shotglns loaded to take human
| life. The reason for the Rev. Johnson
Hendershots military appearance was
found to he three unsigned letters stat
ing that if ne appeared on the streets he
would be Killed. Following the deter
mined attack on his church as detailed
| in these dispatches yesterday, the
wrecking of the interior and the smash
| ing Of the beautiful memorial window
presented to the church by Miss ielnn
IGould, these letters had an on,inous
lock, and the more timid among the cler-
gyman's friends begged him not to go
opt; but Henderson, is not made Of the
stuff that hides behind walls of brick
and plaster when there are doings in
the wind. He refused to stay at home.
and his supporters, when they learned
i of this, appointed a bodyguard to at
tend him. Hendershot says:
when the law-breakers undertake to
ruin our churches because the decent
people of this town seek to uphold our
! fair name, then it is time for us TO act
against them, and right rigidly. l say,
tlet us lynch them. If the mob will run
the men down who ruined my church
will tie the moose which will swing them
into eternity. I have been holding re-
Ivival meetings here for the last three
weeks, and have pleaded with some of
the joint-keepers to close up their So
looms, but they have insulted me openly.
Now I am thirsting for revenge. When
the church-wreckers get their just dues
lit will be on the gallows."
While the saloon men are inclined to do
their lighting in the dark, the ministers
and their allies are doing theirs in
broad daylight. They held a mass-meet-
ing today and the following pledge was
lsigned by 1000 citizens:
Believing that the time has come for
action by all persons who love law and
order, sobriety and morality and who
have regard for the fair name of our
State, I, the undersigned, do soiemnly
pledge myself to act in unison with all
Iothers of similar minds and to resort to
any means that may be necessary to
drive from Winfield the joints and ali
kindred viee-breeding shops that are now
running in our city"
The Rev. George T. Smith, president
of the Winfield Ministers Association, to-
day sent this ultimatum to all saloon
} men in Winfield:
"As president Of the Citizens Mass
Meeting it is my duty to inform you
that you are given until Monday to get
your features out of town. We will not
stand any delay and will take the law
into our hands. I wish you abundant
success in any other Calling
This evening the rumor was abroad
THAT the Methodist Episcopal College