The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1902-1905, 1905-03-10
W. C. 7. U. COLUMN.
Who Killed Our Carl?
Edited By Palatka Union.

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Few kilograms ever carried swiftel
or more unexpected or more needless
sorrow into hosehold than
Carl is shot; is dying; answer"
The faces in the parsonage grew
very pale as this aud the one that
followed it were read. Our Carl, a
student i'll II state university, shot
and dying. Surely some awful mis-.
take somewhere. Half an houl
found us speeding toward the north
M fast as hurrying train could bear
| us.
We had first seen him in our con.
gregaLion at Mason City, Ia. Very
fair of face, with blue eyes and
tiaxen hair, and very responsive
silent listener was the Carl before us
and We had been attracted to him
A visit to the study followed.
We CLEANED his story. A Swede
No home Ia all this land. Partially
broken in health from over-study
Ambitious. Economical. Deter.
mined. Intellectually bri!lian t
Deeply spiritual. 1t was easy tc
share with him our home. Tn,
great church family soon felt the
throb OF this young mans intelligent
zeal. His Sunday school class null
tiplied from four young ladies t.
four times that number, and spiritu.
al results proved him the best OF
teachers. His league meetings were
epOchal. The class leaders were
ever pleading for this over worked
young mans presence, saying: "You
help us So"
Two years of strength to the church.
Two years OF JOY to the home. Two
years OF beautiful life before us all.
Health had come back. Money had
been saved. The university was call.
ing. We left together, he for the
school and We for district work.
And now? Alas! what now. The
train sped on. Night was gone. The
noon of another day had come. Sad
laced students met our train. There
was no need for words, save to tell
the awful tragedy of his death He
had been doing double class work /;
much Young Mems Cristian Associ-
alton work. But he must not forget
to husband his finances. He organ.
lied boarding club. 1t was very
prosperous. He had hired Il woman
to prepare the meals All this we
knew. The woman was in charge OF
all the kitchen work. She must
have the money. She paid all the
hills
1t was hers by right. And she
was paid.
The husband was depravcd, pas
sionale and II dcvotee of the saloon.
He demanded the Wife's wages.
They had already been paid. With
emphasis he claimed them from the
weary woman. She refused. An
gered that Carl had already paid,
maddened at his wife's retention of
the funds, crazed by half-slaked
WhiSkey thirst, he drew his revolver
and fatally shot our Carl. Next he
aimed at his wife, but missed her.
Then he closed the awful tragedy bv
emptying the revolver into his own
brain. This was the story, empha-
sized with sohs, that laid forever
sorrow on our hearts.
Who killed this blameless, brill
liant young man?
Was this namelesS man the muir
drrer? SO said the inquest.
What fired the brain to do the ter
rible deed? Liquor.
Whence came the liquor? From
yondrr saloon.
And whence came that? BY per-
mission of the law?
And how came the law? From
state aud national legislatures.
But who compose these law max
ing bodies? Representative of the
people, from among the people chos-
en- by ballot by the people.
Every ballot cast for the man or
party that stood for the saloon shared
in the responsibility for the saloons
crime. Carl was dead because the
whiskey traffic lived, perpetuuted
aud protected by the expressed wish |
Of the voters Of the commonwealth. !
Lady Macbeth could not wash her
hands white from the invisible blood |
stains, and all the perfumes of Ar |
aba could not sweeten her little |
hands. AS long as the legalized |
saloon exists spots of blood will be
III tie hands of its protectors, and
political eXpcdiency cannot sweeten
hem.
After the fatal shot our Carl was
''Aii' " Aii' anu lONt anu
kill did their best to keep him here.
W hen told that he would die he eX-
PRESSED no fear. A few brief messag-
IS of love, and his great white soul
vent to God, who gave it. AS the
disciples of old took the beheaded
,ody of John the Baptist and buried
T., and then went and told Jesus, so
We bore the mutilated form hun
lred miles to the one whose name
vas last on his lips, and there be-
leath wilderness of flowers, made
till sweeter with the baptism of
many tears, we laid our radiant Carl
o rest.
Over his grave we registered once
gain the vow of hostility to the
liquor traffic. Until the hand was
old as his, and voice as silent, should
Ongue and pen and ballot never fall
er in their efforts to bring this traf- !
&c, humanity's murderer, to its final
cath. SO closed but yesterday the
lie of Carl q, W, Almquist, rare {
The present and COM
lg hosts of our Epworth army must !
leet and utterly destroy the foe that c
teadily seeks other victims from
ar ranks.-Rev. ], G. VanNess. !