Evening journal., 1920-04-24
BAD MAN TOWN
REGENERATED
Desdemona, Tex, Out
laws Make Mistake of
Arousing Legion's Ire
PREACHER GOES
ON THE WARPATH
ny JESSE y. GELDERS,
N. r. A. stan Correspondent.

DESDEMONA, Texas, April 23.--The
click Of poker ships and the sharp
command. Hands tpW
American Legion men pittod against
ihe men and women who took their
Illicit share Of oil boom prosperity
under Rlaring lights 10 .h0 tune Of
mechanicsl pianos
The dawn OF victory for hOme-lov-
ing citzens. efler bitter Tight In
which death threats have flown thick
and fast
This Is the story Of a towns regen-
Grafton, after che breath OF the bad
west Threatened to set back moral
progress for a generation or more
With It's rush OF wealth, gushing
up from subterranein reservoirs. evil
lays fell on the iaw-abiding commun-
ly OF DesdemOnl. Two hundred and
ilfty OF the original 800 lownspeOple
cfl, deel Ting ihat 1T was no mt
flacc to bring up a family
And. while no one disagreed with
hem. no one attempted 10 better con
lit.ons, until Purity Lelgue was
Ormed, TO clean out the crooks.
Back OF the gang was suavc, well--
uOOmcd person who would have been
hailed as a typical ienderfoOi IN the
lays when the west was wild. lie
was graduated from an arisi0cratic
'astcrn college: then he came 10 Des-
iemOna and began the organization Of
! Vice machine.
j. 8. Saunders, secretary OF ihe
league, said: Lots Of us were even
sorry that Oh had been found. 10
hroueh money, hui It's cost US some
hing money couldn't buy"
The league paid two deputy sheriffs
rpcial salarlos OF si25 a month.
But 0pen gambling continued paint
a women swarmed the main street by
lay and nlght. moonshne whisky
lowed In without restraint.
Governor Hobby was appealed 10.
,anders wrote the governor:
There are seven gambling houses
INNING wide open undcr The direct
r0tcctlon of the shcrlff's and the
,ounty attorneys departments
Every ofilcor in the county. inclrd-
ne the Justice OF the peace, is be-
ieved 20 be getting his share OF the
'ake-off. II any ono tries 10 get one
u ihcso houses raldrd. while the war
ants are being sworn ont one AZ lhe
oca officers will notify the houses 20
lose. II you viii 20 into one of these
louses for a few hours al night YOU
VIII see from one to three local ON
'ors.
"More than 100 immoral women arc
naying for protection. DcsdcmOna is
m disgrace today.
81 taught school in Texas nino years
I haye a wife three little girls and
Two boys. I have one OF the be Est
Enmes I'm Desdcmona Have | any
frOlecjion under the lsW?"
The pastor of the Baptist Church
md The Purity League chairman
wore pelted viii beer bottles as ihey
'hadoved a dive.
A ersnd Jury was caNed. Depui,
/ -he.in Peacock was ordered dismissed
| and George "Blt" Bedford, anolhcl
| deputy. RESIGNED
nut The Purity League was sim or
'he defensive, Pe0rock circulated
neiiiior and had himself appointed
/ constable. Bedford was rc-appOlnieC
deputy sheriff and The opponents ol
| me league were more strongly en-
tgenchcd than ever.
peacock charged that Sanders ant
| Captain Horace SOule had hired "a,
| president Of The league 10 kin him.
| Peacock chNllengcd any represen
iatiVe OF the - nia io-a gun duel
sold Soule an attorney.
Tho next turn NJ The battle cami
with the incorporation OF the town o
Oesdemona and us FIRST election.
Tho Pnr'iv League placed n licke
IN ihe neld. which WIS nnOpnnscl
until two days before election. whei
nnoiher set OF candidates WIS IN
nounced with Peacock seeking tn
onlce Of town marshal.
Then came the rangers. They rod
nln town under the governors order
and burned six wahonloads OF gamh
ling equipment on election dqyl
But thr purify Ilcague was heater
Many VOTERS anne red WIKI anldavii
uermlt'ing Them 10 vote. 10 Is chq~a
n That these were issued In wholesal
lot. In blanket form.
The rang WAS in power. The We
mon. who had left town In fear {