23.
CHAPTER XXIII.
COWARDLY ASSAULT BY SALOON KEEPER, G. R. NEIGHBORS OF ELIZABETHTOWN,
KY.—APATHY OF OFFICERS, BUT PEOPLE MUCH MOVED BY OUTRAGE, LECTURED
AFTERWARDS, THO' VERY FAINT AND WEAK FROM LOSS OF BLOOD.—CIGARETTE
SMOKING IN HIGH PLACES DISCUSSED WITH MISS GASTON, PRESIDENT NATIONAL
ANTI-CIGARETTE LEAGUE.
A saloon keeper, G. R. Neighbors, of Elizabethtown, Ky., struck me
over the head with a chair, July 23, 1904. In going up to the hall to fill
an engagement. I passed this man and walking into his saloon, said, why
are you in this business, drugging and robbing the people? "Hush! You
get out." I replied, "Yes you want a respectable woman to get out, but
you will make any woman's boy a disgrace, you ought to be ashamed."
I then passed out going to the hall. After the lecture I passed by his
place again. He was sitting in a chair in front of the saloon, and I said,
"Are you the man that runs this business and in a moment with an oath
he picked up the chair and with all his strength, sent it down with a
crash on my head. I came near falling, caught myself, and he lifted the
chair the second time, striking me over the back, the blood began to cover
my face, and run down from a cut on my forehead. I cried out, "He has
killed me," An officer caught the chair to prevent a third blow.
There were two officers in the crowd. I cried out, "Is there no one
to arrest this man?" No one appeared to do it. He went back in his
saloon. I to the hotel. Some one sent for a doctor who came and dressed
the wound on my forehead, my left arm was badly bruised, also my
back. Had it been for my bonnet, I should have suffered more. This
outragous act roused the people. The women and men came to see me
indignant, saying this outrage would not be tolerated. The Methodist
minister especially was deeply moved. There were two officers who saw
this outrage, but there was no arrest.
Next morning, Mrs. Bettie James, came in two miles from the country,
and had a warrant sworn out against Neighbors, but the case was laid
over to await the action of the "Grand jury," in November, saloon keepers
going on his bond.
I intended to go to Mammoth Cave but remained over on account of
trial, and spoke again that night. Elizabethtown is one of those bad
rum-towns in Kentucky, but there is a fine prohibition sentiment, and
great indignation was felt and expressed that a saloon-keeper even so
low and cowardly as to strike a woman, should be tolerated. I was in bed
most of the day and nearly fainted during the lecture, but I thanked God
that I was counted worthy to suffer, that others might not. I felt some
mother might receive fewer blows—that while my head was bruised and
bleeding to prevent hearts from being crushed and broken, souls were
going
to drunkards graves, and drunkards Hells, and this outrage would reveal
the enormous brutality of this curse, bringing a speedy remedy.
In the Spring of 1904, I was in the office of Miss Lucy Page Gaston,
the National President of the Anti-Cigarette League. I saw on the walls
of her room Mr. Roosevelt's picture. I said, "My dear Miss Lucy, why
do you have that picture in here? Don't you know, he is a cigarette
smoker?" She said, she did not know it. I said, "let me tear that up.
Did this man who is at the head of affairs in this nation ever say a word
against this vice? Although he is sworn to protect from just such. This
brave, good woman, whose heart, soul, and body is dedicated to saving
the young men of our land did not seem to recognize the fact that Democrats
and Republicans (so-called) were the head and front of all the
corruption we have. At last, I said, "If you will write to Mr. Roosevelt
and get his statement that he does not, nor ever did smoke cigarettes I
will give You $50 for your work, she said she would. She wrote to the
President, got no response from him, but Mr. Loeb, his secretary wrote
that the President, did not nor ever had used tobacco in any form. She
sent this to me, of course I was not to be caught with such chaff. I wrote
her so, telling her of the time when Mr. McKinley wished to deny the
fact, that he rented his property in Canton, Ohio, for saloon purposes, his
minister denied this, but the `Chicago Voice' proved that he did. I suppose
Mr. Roosevelt got his minister to write what he dared not. I wrote
her that old birds were not easily fooled with chaff, also stating, that if
she would get a statement that Mr. Roosevelt was not a beer drinker, I
would give her another $50.00. Of course she could not do this, but the
Republican Press published all over the country that Miss Gaston got the
evidence and I paid the $50.00, but not one word of this was true.