"PUSSEYFOOT."

Dunstan Times, Issue 3136, 25 September 1922, Page 2

"PUSSEYFOOT."

A MODERN 1 CRUSADER. William Eugene .Johnson, according to the interesting story oi : his lite, "Plssyfoot" Johnson, by F. A. MeKenzie(, was born in Coventry New York, on Marcli 25. 1862. In his youth he went to a ranich in Nebraska tor his health, and the following v.inter obtained a position of school teacher in a country school which had the reputation of bouncing all its teachers. The pupils—one of them a young giant — tried to oust Johnson, and learned what kind of a fellow he was. (hie light' tettlcd the supremacy* and the teacher had no more trouble with the discipline of that school. Then he went into the real estate business in a boom, made SO,OOO dollars, and lost it, and more. But the real business of his life has been to fight liquor. The battle began on the day he took the pledge. He was at college then, and an appeal was .made to the men to come up and sign tjie pledge. Johnson said to his companions, "Come on up and sign." "We will if you do," they retorted. "Conic right along," he cried, and started, for the platform, followed by ten or twelve others. Just then, with wonderful taste, the organ struck up the tune—"See the mighty host advancing,--Satan. leading on." The audience roared, but Johnson was numbered with the reformers! One of his first anti-liquor fights was in Qfmaha, where he edited a paper to get temperance facts before the people. The "wets" of that day 'took the paper from the newsboys and thrashed them off the street. One of the boys came to Johnson with a cut in his head. Johnson sent him out with a new bundle of papers and followed in his wake. At the first corner a] man jumped on the boy. The next Instant a cyclone struck that man. Johnson saw red. He was arrested, of course, and paid his fine gladly. In 1906 the United States was greatly concerned about lawlessness in the Indian territory and Oklahoma. The territories were supposed to be under prohibition, but rivers of liquor run there, hundreds of saloons being open. Willi a*m E. Johnson was chosen as Commissioner for Indian Affairs, and special officer for the suppression of the liquor traffic in Indian territory. Roosevelt was President then, and gave Johnson splendid support. ''Leave Johnson alone," he wrote to politicians who wanted him removed. As a booze-buster Johnson had no equal. He was absolutely fearless. He could shoot straight, and if he had a soft voice he had a hard fist. His method was simply to enter a saloon and empty out the whisky into the street. Scores of times he arrested men at the point of a revolver. He surrounded himself with courageous deputies, and also used the Indian police. Eight of his assistants were killed by outlaws. Liquor sellers issued injunctions restraining him from interfering with them. He defied the injunctions and had the men indicted. The following story of his ndven- » tures in the Indian Territory is told by an interviewer : ' One day the keeper of a pool hall or gambling den, near. Haskell, gave Cut that if ever he saw W. E. Johnson, he would shoot him at sight. The story spread far and wide. W. E. Johnson decided that the keeper should see him. He first sent an Indian, who discovered that his would-be murderer did not personally know him, but had a very good description. So one day W. E. Johnson changed his appearance, rode up on his horse, and entered the pool hall, pretending to be half drunk. Ho threw a dollar on the counter, and asked for a drink. The keeper gave him a bottle of "soft" non-in-toxicating drink. Picking It up, the visitor smashed it on the counter, and demanded some "hell fire." The keeper stooped down, and reaching through a trap-door produced some whisky—revealing at the same time, a 45 Colt revolver protruding from each hip pocket. Spying some tobacco, the stranger demanded a supply. The keeper had to turn round to get'it. Immediately W. E. Johnson slipped out the two revolvers, and, turning round, the keeper found them pointed at him with a demand to .surrender as a. prisoner of the United States Government, it was this strategic bearding of the lion in his den which caused the Indians- to nickname their protector "Pussyfoot," and the. term Av'as first publicly printed in the Muscogee Phoenix in reporting the above incident. Mr Johnson, who has made a four months' tour of India in the interests of Prohibition, in a statement niadoon leaving Calcutta, declared that he had only encountered one native Indian who was op-posed to Prohibition. He said India is more prepared for Prohibition than Ameria was five years ago. "Wherever the dry crmader went. he was royally received and treated. in spite of political" disturbances, representatives of the Britifeh Government had receptions in his honor audi native,-; vied with them in their euthusism. Tin; Viceroy greeted him at Simla, and entertained him at luncheon. He was the guest of Sir Edward Mackagan, (he Governor of Punjab, at the executive mansion. At llaroda he occupied the Government guest house, with a coterie of servants and the State carriage with coachman and footmen put- at his disposal. The humor of Mr Johnson came out in stories of his recent encounters with hecklers. "When did you begin to take an interest in the temperance . question ?" asked one. "Well, he readied, "I began to drink milk in 1862.'' ("If it is wrong to drink wine, why did Christ make it at the wedding at Cnnn ? inquired another. "Any American schoolboy. would tell you." was the answer, "that there's no barm in wine that's made only of water." Mr McKenzie, in Jiie thrilling biography, tells about the meeting in Louden, at which the students "ragged" Johnson and injured his eye. Hi l took it smilinglv, and did not blame the men that did it. When England knew what had happened, "Pussyfoot" was taken to the national heart. He was a good sport. He had gone to England on the invitation of British reformers, not to dictate a policy, not to lead' a. campaign, hut to tell how liquor has been routed in America. He is convinced that England will be dry by I'J3O, provided America makes good' and remains dry. This is also Lloyd George's view, and the view of many leaders of industry.