The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-04-01
LECTURE POORLY ATTENDED
FAILURE FROM ORATORICAL AND
FINANCIAL POINTS OF VIEW
The Anti-Liqucr Evangelist Creates
n Stir About the Denison i'm the
Early Morning Hours.

In the city, where she exhorted the proprie-
tors, amused the ever-increasing crowd.
and finally wound up at the Denison Hotel
long after midnight. Mrs. Nation left Tom
linson Hall by the side entrance and &C
companied by Edward Clark and a few
newspaper reporters, she Immediately
started for the Bates Inn saloon in the
alley across from the Bates House, but
having nc Connection with that hostelry.
The proprietor Of the place had been in
formed of Mrs. Nations approach, and
when she arrived she found the saloon
closed up tighter than a drum.
1t was then suggested that she pay a
visit TO the saloon Of Wesley Stout, at 136
Market street, and Mrs. Nation at once
agreed to &c. When she was piloted to-
ward the Stout saloon the crowd following
was swelled to enormous proportions. and
IL was with difficulty that she was able TO
get near the resort. 1t was necessary to
take her IN at the rear door, where she
was met by Stout and escorted to the
front door of the restaurant, which is run
In connection with the saloon in the room
just west of the saloon. The crowd on the
outside grew larger every moment and
there were many women in the throng.
Men. and boys ran from all directions, as
II there had been a serious accident or a
fire.
MADE A SPEECH"
When the men and boys caught sight of
the leader of the Ratchet brigade through
the dirty windows in the badly lighted
restaurant, which was full of tobacco
smoke, they called for her to make her
appearance and crowded closely TO the
doors. Stout opened the door shortly and
placed a chair in the entrance and aided
her to mount IL. She faced the crowd and
there was a mingling Of cheers and jeers
that could be heard several blocks away.
During her talk to the boys, as she termed
them, her little black bonnet became OBJ
streperous and fell forward on her face
several times, acting as a sort of muzzle.
She aid not stop alking. however, during
these accidents, but the small wags in the
crowd called to her to stop talking through
her bonnet. About one-tenth of those in
the crowd We're attentive and respectful,
but the others seemed to take the speech
and her actions as a huge joke for them to
jeer at. On arising to the chair she sue
ceeded in commanding attention at once,
although it was broken numerous times
throughout her talk when men tried to at
tract Stout's attention and made jokes of
her utterances. Stout told the crowd to be
quiet and Mrs. Nation would make a
speech, and she then began weird move
ments with her hands as a substitute for
graceful gestures, and in part said:
Yes, L want you TO be quiet, boys, for /
have something to say to you When l
was on the train coming TO Indianapolis
L made up my mind that 1 wanted to see
behind the screens in this city and see the
bad that is going on. A gentleman on the
life / must go 10 West Stout's place, and
here ! am. lJeers and laughter.1 Since
arriving here l have been under contract
with the bureau and / was not permitted
to make speeches until after concluding
my lecture. but that lecture is over and I
am going TO do as l please.
WANTS TO SMASH.
"It IS my mission to go to the lost and
Jesus tells me to go among the evil people.
He says if 1 can't get men loose from the
liquor habit to smash them loose. 1 want
to smash all places selling liquor"
AT this point Stout offered to open the
door of his saloon. but Mrs. Nation only
smiled and continued her oft-interrupted
remarks.
"It is less harm to go stealing she con-
tinued. than it is to sell whisky. These
poor boys will be sent to hell and / don't
want them 10 go TO hell. l shall show them
that they shall not go to hell before my
eyes. That was Why i took my Ratchet
and went to smashing. ! got enough out of
1t to pay me for my whippings and black
eye and then L got in jail. But what is a
| jail7
"The Lord never intended that Yves Stout
should run a saloon" Then turning to
Stout she continued: You are too nice a
looking man to do this for you are better
Joking than any preacher / have yet seen
in Indianapolis. Stout is doing what the
devil wants him to do or he wouldn't be
selling whisky TO men,"
Some one interposed an objection TO this
remark and said that Stout was an honest
horseshoer and Mrs. Nation continued:
well. If he earned money by the sweat
of his brow the Lord would forgive him.
but he doesn't do it. He sells that awful
liquor. The saloon business is the lowest
and meanest business a man ever engaged
in. l ave my Ratchet and 1 will chop at
the tree, chopping off the branches first
and then will kill the tree before / quit"
Mrs. Nation then grew serious and tried
to sing n song. but when her musical
chords crossed o n a high c she spoke the
rest OF the lines.
You had better cut a mans throat" she
continued. than sell him liquor. Jesus is
looking at me now and says l am the light
OF the world. He told me to go to Yves
Stout's saloon as Stout is a bad brother I'm
a bad business
BIG CROWD PRESENT.
BY the time Mrs. Nation had concluded
her remarks the street in front of the Stout
place was simply congested with people,
and it was with the greatest difficulty that
Mrs. Nation could force her way through
the crowd. When the party arrived in front
of the Sentinel office an attempt was made
to get rid OF the crowd by taking Mrs. Ma
tion through the front door, which was i'm
mediately closed behind her. and then
taking her out the back way into the alley.
But the crowd was cogniZant OF the ruse
and when Mrs. Nation came out the back
door into the alley the crowd was waiting
for her. She seemed to enjoy the fact that
she had been discovered and cordially In
vited the whole crowd to her.
Without any warning she dropped into the
Press saloon. where her sudden appearance
with the big crowd at her back so startled
the barkeeper that he was speeches. for
drinking a glass OF beer as Mrs. Nation en-
tered and he became so frightened that he
dropped the glass when II was but hai1
way to his lips. and taking 10 his heels dis
appeared In the crowd before Mrs. Nation
had time TO accost him. Mrs. Nation was
not 10 be denied. however, and she ha-
rangued the unfortunate barkeeper on his
ungodly business for more than a quarter
OF an hour.
Leaving the place, Mrs. Nation next made
her way into the Bernauer saloon. where,
having evidently been posted. she inquired
in a loud voice the name and business OF
the proprietor. When informed by the bar.
tender that BernaCer was a councilman
Mrs. Nation exclaimed at the top Of her
voice: You're right; he is the degil's ovn
/ councilman. and it's a pretty business for