From the Ridgeway Journal dated December 14, 1893:
“Old Aunt Em” and her family had what was probably the shortest residence on record in Ridgeway. She moved from Bethany with her husband, children and household goods and the next day, she had to move back to Bethany. “As soon as our people learned the next morning that she was in town, the marshal interviewed her and she promptly departed south for the town of iniquity from which she came.” She was strongly encouraged to leave Ridgeway once the officials learned she was a prostitute and had run a house of ill repute for fifteen years in Bethany.
While Ridgeway officials were glad for Bethany in that they were trying to “wipe the evils from their town”, they didn’t appreciate that those evils were moving into their own town. “We are glad that at last Bethany has a set of officials who are making an honest effort to wipe the evils from their town, and we think all the good citizens, all over the county should encourage them in the work...Let the good work go on down there and if that town will ship them, we are sure none of the other towns of the county will harbor them.”
