University of Missouri-Kansas City, Dr. Kenneth J. LaBudde Department of Special Collections

Judge Reuben F. Roy Collection - letter (excerpt) to Roy from his wife, typed transcript

NOT TO BE USED FOR PUBLICATION

[Page 1]

New London, Mo.

Feb. 15 - 1914

Dear Sweetheart:

Valentine’s Day

1914 will be a day

long held in memory

by the New London

druggists.

At five oclock in the

morning the church bells

began ringing and the

very early risers could

see some women wind-

ing their way through

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the snow to the churches

to pray.

After praying, the wo-

men marched by twos

to the drug stores and

prepared to spend the

day with the druggists.

Price Butler and Mr.

Conn and Hendricks greet-

ed the ladies and were

very pleasant and agree

able to them. Mort Helms

scowled and asked them

their business at his

store! Sadie Briscoe and

Blanche Megown were first

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stationed in Helm's store.

Sadie Briscoe said

“Mr. Helms since you have

asked me a question,

I will answer. It is

said that you sell whis-

ky and we are here

to find out if you do.”

He swore and talked aw-

ful. Wrote smutty things

on the drum of the stove.

He made himself very

disagreeable in every way.

He and Obryan [sic] poured

carbolic acid on the floor

thinking to run the wo-

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men out by the smell.

At noon Dr. O'Brien

pretended to talk to

some one over the phone.

He then locked the back

door of the store and

started out the front

door. As he passed thro

the door the two women

slipped out as he did.

(He intended to lock

them in). The women

stationed themselves at

the front and back doors

of store. It was very

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cold but the women were

only required to watch

ten minutes at a time,

they were then relieved

by other women.

When the women could

not be frozen out the

store was again opened

and the watch went on.

When the men, (not no-

ticing the women) would

come in to get a drink,

on seeing the women,

they would slink out

saying “Hell! what are

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those women doing in

there.” It was sus-

pected that the Helm's

whisky business was

transferred to the meat

shop and a watch was

put on there and at

Claude Roland's store.

Thus all day the wo-

men watched all the drug

stores and for one day

New London was in truth

a “dry town.” Dr. O'Brien

asked the women if they

would be at his store

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this morning. If so, he

would turn his key over

to them and they could

distribute the Sunday

papers for him.

Ralls County went dry

by over 300.

Local option for New

London was carried by

about 85.

Laura Tompkins, after

being in Helm's store,

told Price Butler that

his (Price's) place was not the

worst in New London.

[Page 8]

I wish I could tell you

of many, many funny

things that occurred yes-

terday. It was a fine

day and an echo of

the fun reached my

darkened room.

Last night, Cammie,

George and Jess came in

and stayed until bed-

time. We had a good

time. Cammie was

fresh from “the

bureau of information” (Blanche

Megown) so we had a...[end of excerpt]