The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-09-12
THE GREAT DESTROYER
SOME STARTLING FACTS ABOUT
THE VICE OF INTEAIPERANCE.
What Nhsss Did-Wife and Mother
Murdered, Father Hanged, Chill
dren Outraged, Home Destroyed
Traffic Wrought Utter Ruin.


dren Outraged, Home Destroyed
Traffic Wrought Utter Ruin.
was sitting at my breakfast table
one morning when I was called to
my door by the ring Of the door-bell.
There stood boy 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
a.voice that trembled with emotion,
tears coursing down his cheeks, he
said:
"Mr. Hoagland, I am Freddie
Brown. I have come to see if you
will go to the Jail to talk and pray
with my father. He is to be hung
tomorrow for the murder of ny
mother. My father was a good man,
but whisky did it. I have three lit
tie sisters, younger than myself. We
are very, very poor, and have no
friends. We live in a dark, dingy
room l do the best I can to sup
port my sisters by selling papers.
blacking boots and doing odd jobs,
but, Mr.. Hoagland, we are awful
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 deeply moved to pity.
promised, and made haste to the
Jail, where 1 found the father.
He acknowledged that he must
have murdered his wife, for the cir
cumstances 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
committed the crime. He said:
My wife was good woman and
a faithful mother to my children.
Never did I dream that my hands
should be guilty of such crime"
The man could face the penalty Of
the law bravely for his deed, b.. he
broke down and cried as if his .t:eart
would break when he thought Of
leaving his children in a destitute
and fTiendless condition. I 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 a bed of straw in one corner Of
the room. They were beautiful girls,
had they proper care.
They were expecting the body Of
their dead father, and between their
cries and sobs would say, Papa was
good, bat whisky did it"
In little while two strong officers
came bearing the body of the dead
father in a 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 me alone with the terrible
scene.
In a moment the manly boy nerved
himself and said, Come, sisters, kiss
papa's face before it 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,
Iraised my heart to God and said,
20 God, did l fight to save country
that would derive a revenue from a
traffic that would make a scene like
this possible?" In my heart l said,
I'm the whole history of this accursed
traffic there has not been enough
revenue derived to pay for one such
scene as this. The wife and mother
murdered, the father hung, the chill
dren outraged, the home destroyed"
I there promised my God I would
vote to save my country from the
ruin of the oligarchy.-Evangelical
Friend.