Show T twi d ka 4 ar r W aw adventurers CLUB K HEADLINES FROM THE LIVES mf OF PEOPLE LIKE YOURSELF a Ar another iother molly pitcher H HELLO ELLO EVERYBODY soul stirring tale of a brave little mother who was deathly afraid of guns but afraid of nothing at all when corporation hirelings tried to grab a piece of her home is the battle of monmouth all over again you remember or do you how in that important engagement at freehold N J away back on june 23 1778 molly pitcher took the place of her husband john C hays an artilleryman after er he was wounded and served his gun thus preventing its capture by the british a yarn that every red blooded american gets a kick out of every time he reads it it is mighty comforting I 1 want to tell you to know there are molly pitchers in every generation stepping forward fearlessly to take the places of their men when necessary just such a woman is distinguished adventurer meet mrs john doolin of lemont ill who did a good job at writing her story one that makes you feel all warm and proud of our womanhood they call women the weaker sex 0 yeah just put their backs to the wall if you want the proof read how mrs doolin single handed whipped a rather highhanded corporation that seemed to be trying to put over a fast one not long after a jahrod raU raH rod came through the village of lemont where the doolins coolins had their home there were a number of accidents on a sharp curve close to the doolin property the company wanted to straighten the line by putting it across the doolin yard surveyors staked out the new right of way workers appeared and began digging john doolin ordered them off then he took tile the first train to chicago and there consulted his good friend attorney alexander sullivan actions action s of company held illegal by attorney mr sullivan told him the company had no right to put its line on doolin property without permission but he continued and heres the catch if the company succeeded in erecting the poles and stringing M 4 A 00 her finger was on the trigger abild and she was all set to pull it the power wire the only thing doolin could do would be to go to court john doolin have any money to pay for long years of litigation so he beat it for home resolved to keep the company off his premises there sticking up in the lawn was a nice new pole that had been put up chile he was in the city john sawed the pole half way through then he borrowed a rifle and ammunition from a neighbor A few days later on a bright june morning in 1903 a policeman appeared with a warrant charging john doolin with destroying public property john marched away with the law leaving three children crying a wife on the verge of it no sooner was john doolin out of sight than a crew of workmen swarmed on the place and began digging so furiously you would think they were being paid a dollar a shovel full was little mrs doolin going to let them get away with it up to the attic she hurried there forgetting she shivered at the very sight of a firearm she took from m the wall a shotgun that had hung undisturbed for many years with her children clinging to her and crying again she opened the window shutters and rested the ancient fowling piece on the sill then in a cold fury she called down to the working men throw down your tools or ill shoot they stopped working and began to kid her foreman orders men to take gun from her then one bully who appeared to be the foreman ordered come on guys lets go up and take it away from her mrs doolin leaned a little farther out of the window and lifted the rusty shotgun the first man who takes a step toward my house gets shot she called now all of you drop your tools or ill start shooting and boys and girls mrs doolin meant exactly what she said she was a determined mother protecting her home and babies in the absence of her husband of course she thought the gun gum loaded but her finger was on the trigger and she was all set to pull it if any one of those men made a move in the direction of the house but their tools went down the workmen sensed this was real drama not a comedy and they became sober one on spoke up to say the company had sent them there to rush up a couple of poles plucky mrs doolin then explained to them that they were on her property that the company had not asked permission to use it nor offered to pay for it well sir when those men got the low down on the proposition they took off their hats and cheered you win lady youre a game guy they told her we arent doing any more digging until you get a square deal with that they picked up their tools and went to town mrs doolin had won her battle I 1 but would the men be back tomorrow would the company have her arrested for threatening its workmen and what had become of her husband officials refuse to prosecute doolin pondering these questions mrs doolin went to the door and was overjoyed to see her husband coming up the walk he been in jail at all the policeman had taken him before a justice of the peace but no one in the courtroom was willing to prosecute him ue he thought he understood why he had been taken away on a charge no one would press when mrs doolin told him film the men had been back but when she told him how she had pointed the shotgun at them and really intended to pull the trigger he felt a little faint for that old gun was loaded well there was one thing about the old fashioned corporation it always knew when it was licked the very next morning the worries of the doolin family were over right after breakfast two suave lawyers called to say how sorry they were it had happened there had been a mistake the company was willing to pay a good price for the land and they paid right on the line thanks to the little woman who know when she was licked released by western newspaper Ur union Lioni |