The age-herald., 1901-02-18
MUCH DAMAGE DONE
Fashionable Joint Was Smash
 ed to Smithereens
LEAnfR ARRESTED FOUR TIMES
The Notorious Saloon Smasher Had Her Army Assembled in the Cap ltol Grounds and March
 ed Forth at Daylight.

Topeka, Kan, February 17.-Mrs. Car rie Nation put in a busy Sunday in To- pel-a today, and as a result the capital city has experienced more genuine excite ment than can be remembered by the oldest inhabitants. Mrs. Nation literally cranmed the day full of exciting epi- sodes; she succeeded in having the con- tents of a notorious joint smashed, en- tered q livery barn where number of fine bar fixtures had been stored away for safety and demolished them search ed a cold storage plant for whiskey, ad- dressed a large mass meeting of men and women and was arrested four times. The last time that the law laid its hands upon her was when Mrs. Nation emerged from the church where the mass meeting had been held.
 Tonight Mrs. Nation anonurces that she will begin tomorrow morning where she left off today and will not rest until all the joints in Topeka have been closed
 This morning at o'clock, just as the big bel! on the Church of the Assump- tion tower was striking off the hour, Mrs. Nation sallied forth from the state house grounds at the head of 800 men and wom- en, all armed with hatchets and axes and moved on the joints of the city, Nobody but Mrs Nation knew what plans she hao laid In the crowd were a large num- Der of students of Washington College, some of the ministers of the city and a number of professional and business men, The crowd marched in perfect military order. There was no excitement. Men and women were following their recog- nized leader whom they trusted implicitly. The company marched silently out of the state house grounds down Kansas ave- nue, to the place on East Seventh street kept by Ed Murphy. When the joint was reached the work of demolition was con- cluded without preliminaries. Mrs. Ma ton, brand.shing a new hatcnet, had started the onslaught, uttering words of deprecation against she joint keepers as she deftly sent her weapon through the first plate glass window at hand. Others followed her lead quickly.
 A General Smash-up.
 Amid the shouts of the crusaders and the dictatorial comrxnAds of the police men present trying tS protect the prop erty, glass was seen crashing to the ground on all sides. Next the door was smashed in with an axe, the interior en- tered and bar, kegs, bottles, mirrors and everything smashable was attacked.
 Hardly five minutes after Mrs. Nadon had begun the smashing, what was once a well furnished joint was in complete ruins. Her work over, Mrs. Nation proudly emerged from the place only to be arrested. She went along with the officer followed by her band ard many people who had gathered. At the police station she was released promptly and hurried back to her work.
 She entered a livery barn, in which some bar fixtures had been stored, and smashed them. Then. al the head of twenty five of her stoutest-hearted fol- lowers she went to the Moeser cold stor- age plant and entered in the search of some liquor she thought had been stored there. This time Mrs. Nation was ar rested by the county authorities and was taken to jail in patrol wagon It was afternoon before she was released from 1ail on bond, and after taking dinner with Sheriff Cook she went to the First Chris tian Church, where she was accosted by an officer with a warrant and taken to the county jail again She stayed this time for two hours and finally her bond was signed by a jointist of this city. a prominent negro politician
 Gathering of the Clans.
 The gathering of the clans at the State House this morning began with the ut- most secrecy at 4:S0 a. m. Sentinels of the army were posted, who accosted each conner in true military style and obliged him to give an account of himself If he wore a white handkerchief around his neck 1t was all right and he was al lowed to proceed as the white handker- chief was the emblem worn by the cru saders.
 "What is your company" one would ask of the other
 Co C. We meet over on the south steps of the State House."
 Finally the army was massed under the east steps of the capitol and awaited the coming of their leader. As they waited
 
 recruits, who entered the State House grounds with a determined and grim look on their faces and with axes slung over their shoulders. Two men came In with great mining picks and others had sledge hammers These weapons were too large for the women, who composed one fifth of the party and carreid bright new hatchets.
 "Where can Mrs. Nation be?" was ask ed i'll some anxiety, as the day was braeking.
 When the darkness had almost disap- peared two women could be seen in the distance running to the scene of the rem dezvous. They were Mrs. Nation and Dr. Eva Harding, with whom she had stayed during the night. Mrs. Nation had ac- tually oyerslept herself by one hour.