Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-01

cause he is fearless enough and brave enough
20 fight for the suppression Of the evils which
always have, and which no doubt always will.
attend society.
At no period in the history Of the world have
the people been free of vice and injustice; in
deed. there is no denying the fact that We were
actually born in corruption, since 1t certainly
seems easier to do wrong than to do right. But.
on the other hand. the salvation Of it all has
been that there always has been seme one cour-
ageouS and honorable enough to fight for the
peoples welfare and rights. regardless of the
consequences
"A Mn ROYAL, of whom we shall next speak,
as a resident Of the District of Columbia
for 30 years, fought with all the knowledge and
vigor at her command for clean and honorable
government and when her enemies could not
silence her ever-busy and sometimes caustic
pen, they trumped up the charge against her
Of being common scold.
Some folks are justified in believing that
they have more than their Shar of trouble
while with others it is but a harbored thought.
With Mrs Royal, however, trouble was real and
not imaginary.
AS Ann Newport, daughter of William and
Mary Newport, she was born in Maryland on
June II. 1862 From here the family soon went
to Pennsylvania, where William Newport died
from the rigors of pioneer life, and his widow
soon became Mrs. Butler, tho wife of pioneer
of Western Pennsylvania, and the family en-
dured all the hardshipS suffered by the early
American settlers.
Ann was years of age when the Declara-
ton of independence signed In the eastern
part of the State in which she lived She saw
the Revolutionary soldiers and the flag they
carried, modified into the one we have today;
the flag she never spoke of but to praise. as
she did years afterward in speaking of Wash
tnf1tonS birthday, follows:
This day, the anniversary of our beloved
Washington, the Star Spangled Banner is
ing before my window. I never see the ma
tional colors without recalling the day when
first the brilliant striped flag. The
whole scene repasses before me and with it all
the Sufferings of those trying times. I suffered
all that human nature could bear both with cold
and hunger. Oh We wealthy Of those times little
idea had We of what the poor frontier settlers
suffered often running for our lives to the
forts. the Indians pursuing and shooting at us.
AT other times lying concealed in brlshwood,
exposed to rain and snakes, for days and nights
without food and almost without clothes. We
were half the time without salt or bread. We
pinned our scanty clothing with thorns.
never saw pin until was as tail as I am now.
We lived on bears meat and dried venison."
In the Summer of 1882 Hannastown where
Ann Newport lived. was destroyed by the In
CLANS, and Mr.. Butler, the stepfather. killed.
Mrs. Butler then took her two children to
Stanton, Va, where we are told she had rela-
ttyes named Anderson. In 1877 Ann Newport
was married to an elderly and weN-to-do
planter named william Royal, who had raised
the first Virginia company for the war for In
dependence. one Of his men being the celebrated
Patrick Henry.
WILLIAM ROYAL died in 1913, and devised
the principal part Of his property to his
wife for life or during her widowhood His rela-
lives contested. A decade Of litigation followed
Ann lost! She then made her way to Alex
andria. then governed as q part Of the District
Of Columbia, ostensibly for the purpose Of Sc
curing a pension as a Revolutionary soldiers
widow. Here she stopped ct the City Hotel as
the guest Of M II. Claeett. Of whom she later
wrote:
I'M. H. Ciagett, the friend Of the friendless
the pride OF mankind. If had q diadem to
dispose of know Of no man at whose feet
would rather lay it than at his. entered his
house at 10 o'clock at night, the 18th of De-
eember. 1923. without cent In my pocket or a
change Of raiment, badly dressed He took me
in and kept me until the 9Th Of April following
not in style in keeping with nay appear
ance. but furnished me with an elegant parlor
and bed chamber and q servant to wait on
the whole Winter"
At the City Hotel she prepared her first book
followed later by several others, and in 1881
she began publishing Paul Pry, weekly news
paper, which ran until 1885, when she began
Publishing The Huntress. which continued until
her death in 1854.
Ann Royal spared no one. Her darts and
her shafts were aimed at the executive, the
legislative and the judiciary and ct the clerical
and the private citizen. She gave and asked
40 quarter with her it was . fight TO the I'm
ish between right and wrong, precipltated, it
seems. by unpleasant relations arising between
AGFs Royal and a small Presbyterian congrega-
ton which worshipped In an engine house near
her dwelling.
WRITING Of this noted case, Miss Sarah
~ Harvey Porter says:
"a formal complaint against her was en-
tered She was called before the District au-