The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1947-01-30
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aY HARRY I. Hale

EDrqoR's NoTB--This IS the
si9th of series of articles to
appear IN the Button Neios
dealing gith early Ohio history.
Others agtH appear in fortac0m-
faa issues.
It was only free-for-al1 fight in
Hern & Newbeck's saloon, Green
field, Highland County Village, that
September morning in 1864, but the
stray pistol shot fired by an un-
identified person killed young Will
liam Blackburn, who was passing on
the sidewalk at the time.
Public indignation over the occur
renee was intensified because no one
could or would disclose who had fired
the fatal shot and the guilty one
went unpunished.
During the next 10 months more
things were happening, though not
so bad as the killing of Blackburn.
Plenty of fights were taking place
in Greenfield, and there were several
wife-beatings. And in town so
small, the poverty and distress that
had come to some homes because of
wages spent in grog-shops did not
go unnoticed.
Though laid out in 1900 and in
corporated in 1841, the village dur
ing the Civil War had hardly 1000
population and everybody living
there knew everyone else and most
of the intimate details of their life.
Women Act
Since it was the men who were
doing the fighting, roistering and
drinking and were depicting the
family funds, the women felt that it
| was up to them to do something
about it. So a mass meeting of
women was held July 10, 1865 in the
African M. E. church, then used as
a schoolhouse and place for public
gatherings.
This was the resolution they draft
ed and handed to all loquor sellers
in the village; "That the ladies of
Greenfield are determined to sup
press the liquor traffic in their midst.
We demand your liquor and give
you Is minutes to comply with our
request, or abide the consequences" !"
Forming by twos and threes, they
marched to William S. Linn's drug
store. Linn refused to give up his
liquor. So the women went across
the street to Hern & Newbeck's
saloon, where their demand again
was refused. Mrs. Drusilla Black
burn, then shrieked Here's where
the liquor was sold that killed my
son." and the women rushed into
the saloon.
Axes, hatchets, mauls, hammers
and other implements we're drawn
from under the clothing where they
had been hidden and the destruction
began. There were more than q
score of frenzied women and the
attack was a passionate one. 1t did
not end until everything IN the place
had been demolished and the liquor
spilled and running in the cutters of
the street.
A A hNx xKyk1n
attracted by the commotion aided
and abetted the women. One thirsty
man who tried to save a drink OF
liquor in broken crock was chased
down street by misunderstanding
woman until he was glad to discard
the liquor, crock and all.
Women Break Down Door
The women then went across tc
Linn's drug store to finish their job
1t was locked. Linn had closed the
place up tight and slipped away
from the coming siege. So the
women broke in the door, smashed
up things and poured the druggists
stock of liquors into the gutter.
Then more saloons and three mor'
drug stores were visited, worked OF
| by the crusading ladies and thei
stocks of intoxicants destroyed. Tina
was all of the grog shops. Th
women did not do things by halves.
Linn swore to warrants agains
the raiders and many of those VIII
took part were arrested. The gran
jury, however, refused to find a bi
, against them and criminal actio
failed.
The druggist then sued them fc
! damages and eminent legal taller
was retained by both sides. A
| torneys for Linn were Judge Sloar
! and Messrs. Briggs, Dickey al
S Steele. For the women, Hon. Mil
Gardner, Judge Stanley MATTHEW
E and w. Fl. Irwin.
A verdict was rendered awardi1
4 Linn $625 damages. A motion W
d made for new trial and the ca
finally was compromised.
y Women Again Crusade
Ten years afterward the wom
- y of Greenfield again were in the fie
d as crusaders. 1t was one OF the fiji
J. towns in the state to try MOI
$. suasion where violence had failed.
> Though the identity of the
/ dszridr,a1 crusaders may he of lit