The Use and Need of the Life of Carry A. NationNation, Carry Amelia
History
The Use and Need of the Life of Carry A. Nation
Nation, Carry Amelia
Nation, Carry Amelia, 1846-1911; Social reformers -- United States -- Biography; Temperance -- United States
I came down on the corner of the street that night, to tell the people
why I did this, when Stillings passed, cursing and shaking his fist at me,
saying: "My wife will settle you." Just then a furious woman came
around the corner, rushed up to me and struck me a fearful blow in the
eye, then ran to her husband, Stillings, and in a frantic manner said:
"I have done what you asked me, now let us go home." I stopped speaking
long enough to go into a meat shop and have a piece of fresh meat
bound on my eye, which was already very dark and painful. Then I
finished my address on the street, and went up to a meeting in the church,
gave an address, and we organized a society to smash saloons, if they did
not close. Next morning we went down the street in a body, Mrs. Hoffman
and other women, and the other dive keeper talked to us and promised
to go out of business. This Stillings came to me again cursing and
threatening, saying: "His wife would fix me." Although this man was
disturbing the peace, disorderly and dangerous, no one offered to arrest
him. He held me, while four women ran from some place with whips
and sticks. One beat me with her fist, another with a whip, one with a
raw-hide, while one pulled my hair and kicked me into the gutter, nearly
killing me.
I said: "Women, will you let me be murdered." For although there
were men and women present, not one did a thing, until at last, an old
lady, the mother of the saloon-keeper's wife, picked up a brick and said:
"If anyone strikes that woman again I will hit them with this." Then all
rushed to defend me.
I was almost breathless. My hair was down, much of it being pulled
out. I went home with my friend, Mrs. Hoffman. These parties were
arrested. The trial brought out the fact that this dive-keeper, Stillings,
had hired these women. To the gambler's wife he was to give twenty-
five dollars, to use the raw-hide. Two women were prostitutes, whom
this Stillings had brought to town for this purpose. They were fined a
small sum, and the whole of them given a few hours to leave town.
My body was bruised and sore. My limbs were striped with bruises;
but I was only disabled two days.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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