The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1907-06-20
WHO KILLED TRUMAN ROOT.
Strong Drink Shall Be Bitter to Them
That Drink II. Isaiah 24:9.

sunday evening last IN the NJ. L. church
by the pastor, Rev. J. B. Workman, and
is published at the request of many who
were present on that occasion:
| have chosen the theme which have
announced not with any view to render
ing a sensational discourse, neither with
view to making any criticism of our
honorable Court, which, after patient
hearing of all the evidence that could
be had in the case, decided that John
Brown was the slayer of Truman Root,
but have chosen this theme because
believe that at this time there is an OPP
portunity to impress upon the minds and
consciences of the people the stubborn,
potent and irresistible fact that at the
root of this whole matter there lies
reeking in crime and lust and blood that
willy, subtle, serpentine foe of the home,
the state and the church. the licensed
beverage liquor traffic. A few years
ago when Bishop Fowler presided over
the session of our annual conference, in
addressing a class of young ministers
who were about to be admitted to mem
bership in the conference, after advising
them along various lines, he said :
''Young men, whenever possible attend
court, watch the trained and skillful
lawyer as he presents his argument to
the jury and to the court and go to your
pulpits and thus preach Christ to the
unsaved, and BESIDES" he said ''it is
good place to study humanity with ref
erence to the dark side of human life
with which we so often have to deal. :"
With this thought in view have spent
considerable time in the court room
during the past week, and | think not
without some profit for this expenditure
of time. i followed the case that is
suggested by the theme of this discourse
through all of its narrowing, repulsive
and revolving details, and while some
thoughtless ones laughed and chuckled
over some of the vile and shameful de-
tails of the testimony that were reveal
ed in the unfolding of the case, my
heart was sick and my soul was filled
with wonder at the depth of human de-
pravity until, with the Psalmist, | was
led to exclaim: ''What is man that thou
art mindful of him and the son of man
that thou visitest him." When | had
considered l determined again to fight
with all the energy of my soul that
demon that sinks men and women
made in the likeness and image of God
in their first estate-to a level lower
than that of the brute creation. The
demon that sent Truman Root unpre-
pared into the presence Of the Judge
Eternal; that sent John Brown to the
penitentiary of Maryland for a long
term of eight years, and, worse still,
that brands him with the mark of Cain
all the days of his life. The demon that
uncovered the shame of that shameless
woman in whose vile resort this sicken-
ing and revolving crime was committed.
And as listened to the States inquiry:
who killed Truman Root" and heard
the testimony of the witnesses both for
the prosecution and the defense, could
read between the lines all through the
evidence, in letters glowing with the
red blood at the victim of this tragedy:
ut was strong drink that killed Truman
Root" How forcibly did this assertion
of the inspired Prophet Isaiah come
down through the ages to me: Strong
drink shall be bitter to them that drink
it," Then | listened again and I.heard
from the witness stand what purported
to be the repetition of John Browns
own words when first informed of the
awfulness of the finding of the coroner's
inquest; and what were these words?
'WHISKEY HAS DONE 1T FOR NE ~
Then as | listened to the argument of
our States Attorney, whose experience
for years has made him familiar with
the most productive cause of crime and
he fearlessly declared that at the foun-
dalton of the whole crime was strong
drink. Then when the counsel for the
utlellScJ "llOoS ~ dSllCe VI law lOT
almost fifty years has given him every
opportunity to look into the cause of
crime, spoke in behalf of the accused,
he, too, indicated that the seat of the
whole trouble was in the evil of strong
drink; and when the Court, consisting
Of Chief Judge Boyd and Associate
Judge Henderson, men skilled in law
and evidence, came to render their de-
cision and to pronounce sentence upon
John Brown for the crime of man
slaughter, they said that this is another
of those crimes traceable to the immod-
crate use of alchoholic beverages, but
when man willingly takes into his
stomach that which will drive out his
brains that man must bear the conse-
quences, and therefore we sentence
John Brown to term of eight years in
the Maryland Penitentiary." Verify the
prophet spoke advisedly when he said,
"Strong drink shall be bitter to them
that drink 1t.