The Mena weekly star., 1919-04-03

me applause had died down, Joe Lewis began to talk, but the main fact he brought out was that it will cost $250 Tor a lawyer to take the antis' case into court and another $250 if the case IS won. Joe said there was no doubt in his mind the case could be won, for he claimed there were 1,00O property owners in Mena alone. He ridlculed the verifcation of the prop erty owner list by Monroe Martin.
 Lewis appealed to the antis for fin ancial support in carrying on the light. Only a few responded, and as Lewis says in his own report of the matter, five of them. were small property owners" It Vas during this time that someone made reference to Lewis family affairs, but as this has nothing to do with the merits of the road issue, The Star omits it.
 When Joe Was Converted.
 After appealing to the antis re- peatedly, to come forward and con- tribute, and getting no results, Lewis created commotion by suddenly filnging up his arms and shouting:
 I'm converted I wanted you folks to come here so could convert you but you've converted me" He ex- plalned that he had taken up the fight on behalf of the poor farmer and had lost time and money in helping the other fellow.
 You've gone back on me-" the anti leader walled, land from now on I'm Jefferson Highway booster"
 When the biggest part of the crowd had gone, Lewis backslid, and re- nounced his conversion. How he came to do that is best told in his own explanation, which follows:
 Why I Turned.
 At the anti-highway meeting at Hatfield last night l turned a pro for about 30 seconds. It happened in this way. The pros of Mena and Hatfield eaptivated the meeting by the leadership and speechmaking of Judge Alley, to the extent that some farm ! CTS seemed to turn over and become deserters. Even after it had been ex- plained that the petitions were doubt lessly Illegal and that the tax books are proving that there will be ap- proximately 5000 land owners in the district, the farmers still refused to show any serious desire to fight it. l plead with them for money and even asked for count on all who wanted to fight it. Only about men stood m and E af tbo,a x,,a,.o .,1I ..,.s.>...4.. owners. When saw this and reflect ed back on the time and money I had spent fighting the Alexander Road Law, and on the spur of the moment decided that if the farmers had decid- ed to go back on me I would go back on them. But, mind you, this was done when the meeting had reached a high degree of mental tension and emmotional frenzy. The meeting was badly interrupted by the pros. But when the excitement had died down most farmers rallied with renewed energy to the cause and in about 15 minutes $115.50 in cash was donated to go towards hiring lawyer to fight the case. This looked good to me and in twinkle of an eye was back with the antis again. It takes money to go into law and now as it is coming in, the fight will go on to finish.
 "When the heat has died down and we can get a true perspective of things I will explain some of these things that are being printed about the antis and myself. Some of it is true, about 10e5. I suppose, and the other 909e is exaggerated and distort- ed all out of proportion to it's original meaning.
 "Joe Lewis"
 "Ah Rats there is nothing to lot of these anti "crook" accusations, the Cove Star reporter and others to the contrary not withstanding.
 Joe Lewis.