The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1905-07-12
THE GREAT DESTROYER
SOME STARTLING FACTS ABOUT
THE VICE OF INTEMPERANcE:
The Awful Tragedy Of q Rochester Sum-
day Dinner-How q Peaceable, Indus
trious Citizen Was Transformed Into
a Fiend-A Warning to Drinkers.

The Awful Tragedy of a Rochester Sum
day Dinner-How q Peaceable, Indus
trious Citizen Was Transformed Into
a Fiend-A Warning to Drinkers.
On May 20 there lived on the corner
of st. Paul and Evergreen streets, IN
Rochester, n. Y, a family OF four.
Vincent Love, q young man or thirty,
was the father, Minnie was the young
wife, James Ta the little s~iz-year-old
SON, and the two months old baby
sister was not yet named.
Love was regarded as q peaceable
and industrious citizen. He was en-
ployed at the Eastman Kodak WOrks
and made good wages.
When he reached his home three
hours after he had quit work on Satur-
day night be had left every dollar of
his weeks wages in the saloons that
line the streets between the factory
and his house. He was penniless,
drunk and quarrelsome. He remem-
bered that his young wife had earned
something that week. Needing q dress,
she had taken home some sewing from
one Of the clothing factories, and had
earned $3.50 for her weeks work.
But when her husband returned with
his wages all spent and nothing in the
house for the Sunday dinner. she took
this money and started Sor the store.
But what did Vincent Love, with the
mad spell Of drink upon him, care for
the children's Sunday dinner, much less
his own? He barred the way at the
door and cried, "Give me that money.
I will do the shopping. You mind your
children" But she pushed him away,
and taking James along, left the baby
sleeping in her cradle while She went
to the store. Soon she returned with
the meat and vegetables for the SUN
day dinner, purchased with her own
dress money. .
The house was dark when she went
into the kitchen, and striking a match,
she reached up to light the bracket
lamp.
At 10 o'clock s~ix-year-old James stood
at the door of DR.. Hunter, TWO blocks
away. Doctor" he cried, my mamma
has gone to sleep and 1 cannot wake
her. Please come and wake my
mamma"
On the floor of the kitchen, lying in
q pool Of her own hearts blood, the
doctor stumbled over her dead body.
james had pushed a pillow under his
mothers head and covered her with a
comforter to keep her warm.
Baby was crying in her cradle.
Lounging over the kitchen table was
Vincent Love in q drunken stupor. On
the floor lay the blood-stained knife.
-~o-o5 1oao,,co cha would MT rive
him the money, he had concealed him
self in the corner, armed with the
brutal knife, waiting her return. As
she lifted her arm to light the kitchen
lamp he sprang from the corner and
plunged it in her bosom.
Little James saw the blood, but he
told the doctor, Mamma is sleeping"
and to the police he said, Il am afraid
to tell, for my papa will beat me-"
In Mount Hope Cemetery lies the
body of the young woman who changed
her name by marriage to Love, laid
there by drink. In the county Jail Vim
cent Love awaits his doom, made a
murderer by drink.
In the home of the dead wlfe'S
mother are two little children, made
orphans by drink. On the corner stands
the former home, wrecked by drink;
the grave is closed; the prison door
is closed; the door Of the home is
closed; but the saloon remains open.
Whisky, the real murderer, is at large.
Six hundred saloon licenses, that same
week, were renewed for another year
IF debauchery and poverty and deviltry
and crime. And the blood Of a poor
murdered woman is upon the hands of
the Christian men who by their bal
lots consent to the curse.-Clinton n.
Howard, IN the New Voice.