The public weal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1906-1908, 1906-05-01
Work Of the Saloon
''Whlskey Did IT," How q Man with 4
Heart Became q Prohlbltl0nlst.

was sitting at my breakfast table
one morning when I was called to
my door by the ring of the door-bell.
There stood a boy about thirteen
years Of age, poorly clad, but tidied
up as best he could.
He was leaning on crutches, one leg
off at the knee. In voice that trem.
bled with emotion, tears coursing
down his cheeks, he said: "Mr. Hoag.
land, I am Freddie Brown. I have
come to see II you will go to the jail
to talk and pray with my father. He
is to be hung tomorrow for the mur.
der Of my mother. My father was q
good man, but whisky did It. I have
three little sisters younger than my.
self. We are very, very poor, and
have no friends. We live in dark,
dingy room. I do the best I can to
support my sisters by selling papers.
backing boots, and doing odd jobs,
but, Mr.. Hoagland, we are awfully
poor. Will you come and be with us
when fathers body is brought home?
The governor says we may have his
body after he is hung" was deep
ly moved to pity. I promised, and
made haste to the Jail where I found
the father.
He acknowledged that he must have
murdered his wife, for the circum.
stances pointed that way, but he had
not the slightest remembrance of the
deed. He said he was crazed with
drink or he would never have commit.
ted the crime. He said:
my wife was good woman, and
faithful mother to my children. Never
did ] dream that my hands should be
I guilty OF. arch o crime
The man could face the penalty Of
the law bravely for his deed. but he
broke down and cried as II his heart
would break when he thought Of leav.
ing his children in a destitute and
friendless condition. read and
prayed with him and left him to his
fate.
The next morning I made my way
to the miserable quarters Of the poor
children. I found three little girls on
q bed of straw in one corner of the
room. They were clad in rags. They
were beautiful girls, had they proper
care.
They were expecting the body Of
their dead father, and between their
cries and sobs they would say, Papa
was good but whisky did It,"
In a little while two strong officers
came bearing the body of the dead
father in rude pine box. They set
it down on two rickety stools. The
cries of the children were so heart
rending they could not endure it, and
made haste out of the room, leaving
rme alone with the terrible scene.
| In a moment the manly boy nerved
himself and said, Come, sisters, kiss
papa's face before 1t is cold" They
gathered about his face and smoothed
It down with kisses, and between their
sobs cried out. Papa was good. but
whisky did it."
raised my heart to God and said,
20 God, did fight to save country
that would derive a revenue from q
traffic that would make scene like
this possible?" In my heart ! said,
A.'In the whole history Of this accursed
traffic there has not been enough rev.
, enae derived to pay for one such scene
Yas this. The wife and mother murder.
led, the father hung. the children out
5raged, the home destroyed" I there
promised my God would vote to save
\ my country from the ruins of the oil
garchy.
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