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men; the desolate homes and broken laws; and you a constable; oath…bound
to close his man's unlawful business。〃

The treatment I got at the hands of this Mart Strong was told to the
mayor and councilmen; and there was great indignation。 The councilmen
went to Mart's place that night。 The door was locked and a number of
gamblers were in there。 The mayor forced the door open and told Mart
Strong never to open business in the town again。 He left next day; and
this closed up one of the worst places in the town。 Then there was Henry
Durst; another jointist of long standing who was a German and had
accumulated quite a lot of property by this dishonest business。 He was a
prominent Catholic。 A Mrs。 Elliott; a good Christian woman; came to my
home crying bitterly and between sobs told me; that for six weeks her husband
had been drinking at Durst's bar; until he was crazy。 She had been
washing to feed her three children and for some days had nothing in the
house but cornbread and molasses。 She said that her husband had come
in; wild with drink and run his family out and kicked over the table and
she said: 〃I came to you to ask you what to do。〃

I did not speak a word; for I was too full of conflicting feelings; but I
put on my bonnet and Sister Elliott asked me what I was going to do。 I
told her that I did not know; but for her to come with me。 We walked
down to Henry Durst's place; a distance of half a mile。 I fell down on my
knees before the screen and began to call on God。 There were five men
in there drinking。 I was indifferent to those passing the street。 It was a
strange sight to see women on their knees on the most prominent part
of the street。 I told God about this man selling liquor to this woman's
husband; and told Him she had been washing to get bread; and asked God
to close up this den and drive this man out。 Mrs。 Elliott also prayed。 We
then told this man that God would hear and that hell was his portion if
he did not change。 In a short time he closed his bar; left his family
there; and went to another state。 His property was sold gradually and he
never returned; except to move his family away; and I heard afterwards
he was reduced to poverty。

Another jointist was named Hank O'Bryan。 In passing his place one
night from prayer…meeting; I smelled the horrid drink and went in。 A
man by the name of Grogan was there; half drunk; and I said: 〃You have
a dive here。〃 Mr。 Grogan replied: 〃No; Mother Nation; you are wrong;
and I can prove it。〃

〃Let me see what you have in the back room;〃 I asked。 〃All right;
Mother;〃 he said; and took me through several windings; until I came to a
very small room with a table covered with beer bottles; that had been
recently emptied; and in one corner sat a man; Mr。 Smith; a man from
Sharon; who the W。 C。 T。 U。 had been talking of handling for selling
liquor in that town。 Mr。 Grogan introduced me to him; and he; Mr。
Smith; looked terrified and astonished。 I took up one of the bottles
and asked what it had contained。 His reply: 〃Hop Tea。〃 I asked:
〃What name is that on the label?〃 It was 〃Anheuser…Busch;〃 but I could
get neither of them to pronounce it。 I turned up one of the bottles and
put it to my lips and told them that it was beer; and that I could take an
oath that it was。 Grogan threw up his hands saying: 〃Now; Mother
Nation; if you get me into trouble I will do something desperate。〃 I
had visited this man Grogan in jail about a year before this; where
he was put for getting drunk and fighting。 I said: 〃I do not wish
to get either of you in trouble; but want to get you out。〃 I had my Bible
with me and I opened it to several passages where drink was condemned;
and told them where it would lead。 I told them I would not speak of this
to anyone。 When I said I would not 〃tell on them〃 the look of gladness
on their faces was pitiful to see。

I said; I am going to pray God to have mercy on you。 Kneel down;
like two obedient little childrenthey kneltsome may smile at this;
but I was deeply affected and felt a compassion and tenderness toward
these poor men; whom the devil was leading captive at his will。 That
prayer I offered; was heard。

In one week from that time this man Grogan came to my house; one
Sunday morning; and fell down at my feet crying and wringing his hands;
saying: 〃Oh! Mrs。 Nation I am going to hell; but it is not your fault and
I came to ask you to pray for me。〃 He was in great agony of soul。
He had been drinking until he was almost crazy。 He left in about half
an hour; saying he 〃was going to hell;〃 but I told him; no; to have faith
in God and He would save him。

This was the last I saw of him; but I heard afterwards that he had
a small store in Wichita and was living in the rear of it with his family。
The person that told me of him; said that he asked Mr。 Grogan if he sold
liquor。 His answer was: 〃No; I got enough of that in Medicine Lodge。〃
This Mr。 Smith became a wreck for a time; and lost his business in Sharon。
After I came out of jail in Wichita the third time; I met a man on the
street and he made himself known as the Smith of Sharon。 He looked
quite well and said he had quit drinking entirely and was a real estate
dealer in Wichita。

I soon heard of its being told around in Medicine Lodge that I drank
beer in a dive。 So I went to Hank O'Bryan's restaurant and said: 〃Some
of these jointists are telling that I drank in a dive。 Now if it comes to the
ears of the public; I will have to go on the witness stand and tell where I
drank beer。〃 Hank turned pale; looked comical and I never heard any
more of that。

There was a saloon keeper in Kiowa; named 〃Billy〃 Morris and living
with him as his wife was a girl whose name was Cora Bennett。 This
poor girl had been living an irregular life; but was true to this man; who
had promised her time after time to marry her; but was only deceiving
her。 She entered his bar room one day and told him he must fulfill his
promise to her now; or she would kill him。 He tried to laugh at her。 She
fired a shot and killed him on the spot; then the poor girl fell on his dead
body screaming in a distracted manner。 She was arrested and brought to
jail at Medicine Lodge; and was there six months。 Being Jail Evangelist I
went to see her; sometimes twice a week。 When I first saw her she was
reticent; and did not seem glad to see me。 She was so nice; that I fell in
love with her and I asked the ladies of the W。 C。 T。 U。 to visit her; but
they thought her a hopeless case。 She bought a Bible and we would read
and pray together and talked about the need of Christ in our lives。 She
was a woman of great sympathy。 I asked her once: 〃Did you ever love
anyone。〃 She wept bitterly and said: 〃Yes; the man I killed。〃

Toward the last she seemed perfectly delighted when I came to her
cell。 She; consented to go to a home where she would have friends who
would keep her; to make a change in her life。 The morning she left I
went to the jail and rode with her in the hack to the depot and then to a
town about twenty miles east of Medicine Lodge; called Attica。 On the
train from Medicine Lodge to Attica; the deputy sheriff had some man
to give this girl a letter from him; telling her to meet him at Wellington。
The girl's father lived at Attica; and an older sister of her's met us。 I
could see the sister was not a good woman; and she took Cora to a room
and exchanged the modest hat and dress for a showy hat and elaborate
silk dress; and when I saw her it almost broke my heart。 I said to her:
Oh; Cora; all my work to save you is in vain。〃 I had rather have seen
her drop dead; and I grieved all the way home。 From Attica she went to
Wellington; instead of Olathe; Kansas; where she was to enter this home。
James Dobson was sheriff of Barber County and his brother kept a
saloon in Kiowa; the first saloon I ever smashed。 ;

I heard no good news of Cora for some years; she led a bad life。
Five years later; through a W。 C。 T。 U。 lecturer; I heard that she was
married and living in Colorado; and she was an efficient worker as a W。
C。 T。 U。 woman; among fallen women。 She told of her past life and of a
Mrs。 Nation visiting her。 This woman said it was so incredible to believe
that Cora could have been so bad; and had taken a human life; that she
was anxious to see the place in Kiowa and to see Cora's prison cell and
myself。 I was then in Oklahoma; and I certainly rejoiced over this news
from her I had learned to love。 I saw in this wayward girl certain qualities
that would be a power for good; if once God could have His way
with her life。

There are diamonds in the slush and filth of this world。 Happy is he
who picks them up and helps to wash the dirt away; that they may shine
for God。 I am very much drawn to my fallen sisters。 Oh! the cruelty
and oppression they meet with! If the first stone was cast by those who
were guiltless; those who were to be stoned would rarely get a blow。


O。 L。 DAY'S DRUG STORE。

There was a druggist; O。 L。 Day; in Medicine Lodge who was unlawfully
selling intoxicating liquor。 He himself was drinking; also his clerk。
I got a knowledge of a deposit of this contraband goods。 I put a little
boy on my buggy horse and sent a letter to

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