Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1884-10-02

ence, countenanced whatever action
might be taken. The meeting was Or
ganized by the election of George w.
Brown as chairman. Speeches,
prompted and dictated by spirit of
persecution, were made aud cheered to
the echo. The meeting then passed
resolutions of which have Just received
certified copy, taken from the town
records of Mr., w. H. Chany, the towa
clerk. They
READ AS FOLLOWS.
Moved by George w. MADDOX, that If
John Bapst, S. j., be found again on
Ellsworth soil we will provide for him
and try on an entire suit of new clothes
such as cannot be found at the shops of
any tailor (sic), and that when thus ap
parelled he be presented with free
ticket to leave Ellsworth upon the first
railroad operation that may go into eff
feet.
Voted, that the resolution adopted at
this meeting be published i'm the Ellis
worth Herald and Eastern Freeman.
! Voted that we now adjourn sine die.
THE READING Or THE RESOLUTIONS
was received with shouts of applause,
and they were adopted without dis
senting voice or.vote, as the Democrats
and Liberal Republicans had all left
when they saw how things Were likely
to go. The proceedings were published
all over; but Father Bapst, not believing
that they would put their threat into
execution, went to Ellsworth the fol-
| Iaxui.,ae Snf,rdaxr tn hn l,a,,I 10 NJ
tend to his religious duties next morn
ing. He stopped at the house of an
American Catholic named Kent. When
darkness had set in, the house was sur
rounded by mob who demanded the
production Of the Objectionable priest.
TRAP DOOR IN TaE FLOOR
of Mr.. Kent's kitchen led down to the
cellar, and opening this he induced Fa-
ther Bapst to descend and hide in the
cellar, expecting the mob would go
away when they could not find him.
Mr.. Kent opened the door and told
them that Father Bapst was not there.
l"We know he is and we must have
him." The crowd yelled. Mr.. Kent in
vited them to look all over the house,
but they persisted in the statement that
he was secreted in vhe house, as some of
them had seen him enter. Mr.. Kent
tried to persuade them that he was not
there and begged them to go away. IL
you don't produce him we will burn
down your house and roast him alive
the mob howled. They were proceed
ing to carry out the threat to burl
down the house when Father Baps,,
not wishing to see his protector made To
suffer, pushed up the trap door and
AsCENDED FROM THE CELLAR.
He still hoped that the instinc,., of hu-
manity might prevail in them over the
spirit of bigotry; thai they would be open
to reason and justice, and would disperse
10 their homes. But he misjudged the
spirit which controlled the mob. With
a yell they rushed uron him, dragged
him out of the house and up the road.
They placed him upon sharp rail and
thus carried him along, yelling hooting
and cursing him, splitting upon him and
raining blows at him. The men carry
ing the ratf logged 1t up and dowiii 20 MS
10 inflict more pain and injury. Com
ing to q lonely place outside of the
town they took his watch and money
and his clothes, stripping him naked.
They then dragged him into wood, as
I have learned since, and tied him to a
tree. They piled brush around him and
some of the ruffians tried to set it on
fire. They would most likely have
burned him to death had not their sup
ply of matches give out before they
could get the brush lit. They then
united him from the tree and flung him
on his back, and man with large
knife was about to peipetrate terrible
outrage when few of the mob revolted
at the attempt and .....
i SAVED HIM FROM 1T. 81
was sitting in my home during this
time, unaware of what was going on.
A rap came to the door, which Topened,
and neighbor told me that mob had
seized and carried Father Bapst off to
the woods: l could not believe it but |
} started out, and Oh the hill outside of
the town met my brother and the sher-
iff coming in. They had gone out to
look for the mob and try to save the
priest They encountered the mob,
i. who flung stones at them, breaking the
lantern which the sheriff carried. The
sheriff was a man of courage and told
the roughs that if they did not desist he
would empty the contents of his pistol
among them. This had the desired ef-
feet; the crowd passed on, but we were
unable to find Father Bapst among
them. This, Isuppose, was only part
of the mob, the other part having The
unfortunate man in the woods at the
time We ascended the hill and
searched for the body, believing they
had killed him. But we could find no
trace ofhim. 1t appears that after they
released him from the tree, where,
COVERED WITH TAR AND FEATHERS,
they had attempted to roast him alive,
they dragged him back to the town aud
told him to get out that night or they
would most assuredly kill him if he at
tempted to say mass next day. When
we got back learned that father Bapst
was at Mr.. Hunts residence. / went
there a1d asked to see him. | was at
first denied admittance, but was after
wards permitted to enter the room in
, which he was. There stood Father
Bapst covered with tar and fathers and
: almost
EXHAUSTED BY HIS INHUMAN TREAT.
MENT.
He was surrounded by a few friends who
were endeavoring to cleanse him with
soap and warm water. He extended
his hand to me. 1t was a trying mo-
ment. The priest said that fortunately
he had escaped q more terrible fate
i which his adductors had in store fol
1 l ~ IL frr, =,