The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1915-02-06
]. BARLEYCORN
PUT TO ROUT BY
n Il BESSIE ASHTON
tcon,in.ea fro~ r.se one,.


In prison as an habitual drunkard.
Bessie has found her salvation
but not In prison.
She found Il one day-Jan. 8, last,
TO be exact--in the county jail, when
q woman wearing the uniform and
bonnet OF the Salvation army, and
another woman. a member OF the
fashionable Crosse Pointe colony.
came TO her. IL was the last time
Bessie was arrested. and she had
heard that the prison term awaited
her. She was trembling and wretch
ed; her voice was unsteady.
"Oh. God" she mumbled when she
saw the Salvation army bonnet NOV
ing toward her. The voice from
under the bonnet spoke to her:
Bessie, did you say. NGody ir
asked. do you know God never
made women to be like you-to be
drunkards. Do you know His image
OF woman Is not one who lies In jails
because she cannot let alone such
poison as whisky"
Bessie sobbed and nodded her
head.
Then" said the woman In the
bonnet "kneel down, and pray to your
God for salvation. Show Him you
want to be one OF His children"
Strange things happen In Jails, but
on this Jan. 8. Bessie Ashton, wom-
an who had been given up as lost,
knelt with the Salvation army work
er. and prayed. And the woman from
Crosse Pointe stood by. with head
bowed. The Salvation army woman
was Margaret Duffy. stan captain.
and the third member of the party
was Miss Clara r. Dyar, who Is In
terested in social welfare work.
Through their efforts, and those OF
Mrs. Strickland Clark. another social
worker, Bessie was given one more
chance. by Police Justice Stein. The
Judge was frank in stating that he
thought little could be done for Bes-
sic. She already had had chances
innumerable, and always she came
back.
So Bessie was taken to the Saliva.
ton Army Rescue home and Hos
pital for Women. at Fort and Twenty
second SITS. The Judge had put her
on probation for one month. The
month has passed. Bessie has report.
ed once to the court. and her report
was that she had not touched q drop
OF liquor during that period.
In the Rescue home, Capt. Duhy
has been a companion to Bessie.
What she has done, speaks for itself.
Each Sunday morning. since she has
been In the home. Bessie has attend
ed, services I'm the Army citadel. She
has stood before the men and women
who come there. has told them Of her
past. and has given them the secret
OF her salvation. That secret Is
faith In God.
Faith, that's what Bessie has"
said Capt Duffy. She realizes that
she owes a responsibility to her
Maker There is no law that can re-
form a woman like Bessie was. And
liz / am informed, correctly, all the
various scientific cures she tried did
not help her. You might not believe
Il. but jails and stations have a
terror for her. She has told me- of
the depression, the 'blueness, which
has come over her after she has been
locked up, how she tried to forget by
drinking, and how she always went
back.
Now, Bessie realizes she has some
mission on earth. Why, just the other
day. she asked me IL I didn't think
she could find some work with the
army. In some other city. She wants
to get away from Detroit, after she
goes away from the home. She wants
TO start anew"
Here are some OF the things she
has told Capt. Duffy:
She has new strength and con
fidence In herself, because she knows
she owes IL to her God to be what
woman should be.
She is going to take up some use
full work. after she leaves the Rescue
home. either in Detroit or in some
city far removed from the scene OF
her earlier misfortunes.
She Is going to do what she can
for others headed on the. path she
trod, by attending the services at the
Army citadel. and telling what saliva
ton has done for her.
And IL you don't believe that Bes-
sic Ashton is already living up to
some Of these resolutions, and that
the true spirit of womanliness has
awakened within her, hear what Capt.
Duffy SAYS about the ride Bessie took