The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-02-06
WANTED HER RATCHET.
Mrs.Nation Demands One Taken
From Her in q Joint.

GLORY to God, menu exclaimed Mrs
Nation as she stood in front Of the joint
at $50 Kansas avenue a little after J.
o'clock and ratified the door in her eff
forts to get in. This is what we are
looking for. This is a joint and I want
in and they will NOT let me. I don't
want TO destroy thei- place or break
their bar; only want the Ratchet they
took away from me the other morning. -
She tried in vain to make the man on
the inside open the door, but he would
not do it. so she finally left the place and
started to Sims drug store two doors
south, saying TO the crowd
We'll, men, see cant get in there,
so viii go to Sims drug store They
telephoned to me that they wanted to
see me there a little after one and il is
about that time
The crowd which had gathered parted
so that Mrs Nation and the woman
with her could pass through and she
entered the store. The crowd tried to
follow and after four or five had got
in Mr.. Sim tried to close the door, but
the crowd was pushing so that the men
in front were pushed against the glass
ana one oA the toWer glasses was broken:
The sound of falling glass frightened
the crowd and they showed back, giving
Mr.. Sim time to close the door, The
crowd evidently thought that Mrs. Ma
ton had her Ratchet out and was at
work. When the glass fell on the floor
Mrs. Nation turned and seeing what
had happened said
What a shame that is Men don't
you know any better than that2 1 did
not break that window" turning to Mr..
Sim, lit was the men who were so
anxious to get in. Now men you have
broken the window and you should pay
That's right" echoed Mrs Crist. the
woman who was with her; you men
should pay for that and viii pass the
hat We viii take up a collection"
That's the thing to do said Mrs. Ma
ton, chip in here you men. Put in
five cent piece or put in a dime and help
us pay for that window glass don't
blame you for being anxious to get in,
but you broke the glass and should pay
for it,
When the hat was passed no one do
mated to the fractured glass and Mrs.
Nation pulled two half dollars from her
pocket and placed them on the counter
before Mr. Sim and the woman with her
put ten cent piece on top of them.
There IS $1.10," said Mrs Nation, Il
hope that viii pay for the glass / am
SO sorry it was broken. You know / did
rot come in here to break anything. I
just came here to see what you wanted
you wanted to see me-
No, ! didn't" said Mr.. Sim
wei. some one did, replied Mrs. Ma
ton. They said that they wanted me
to come here on important business"
1T must have been a joke. am sure
that no one telephoned from this place.,
answered MI SIM
ell I am sorry that I have caused
you all this unnecessary trouble. I am
sure I didn't come here to cause any
disturbance. We had better go out be-
fore the crowd gets any thicker" she
said as she pushed to the door,
When she got on the outside the
crowd was So dense that she could not
get through it, so she stopped and made
a. speech.
You men are here now, and am go
ing TO. talk to YOU" she said II am
going to tell you that it is all your
fault that we have these murder shops.
You have the right to vote and you can
use your ballots in stopping this llor-
ribie crime Why don't YOU do it. menu
Why don't YOU do it? It is to your dis
grace that you let these evils exist You
could stop them if you wanted to. You
could stop them, oh, SO easy. But you
don't. You put it all on to the women.
You men know this is wrong. but you
have not the nerve to do as you should
do. find so many weak men through
out the country-men who know their
duty, and will not do it. You all know
that your mothers did not want you to
drink. They worked for you day and
night, and they cared for you when you
We're sick They got up in the night
oh, so many times, and attended to your
wants, but you are now doing just what
you know they did not want you to do
Why, why are you allowing these places
to run-these murder shops2 o, men,
you must see that you are doing wrong.
Can't you see ft2 Please help US to
close them, men. and YOU win lay UP
treasures above"
Just then a man pushed through the
crowd and declared that he would not
get off the sidewalk even for a Mrs. |
Nation crowd. The incident attracted |
the attention Of the crowd and Mrs. |
Nation and her friend started on down |
the street