The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1884-10-23
The Statement Of Mr.. White.

IMMETSBTRG, Ia, Sept. ID HaV-
ing read the letter OF the Hon, Thos.
u. Jones, in the New York Mcrcure,
published in your Issue Of Sept. q,
regarding the outrage on Father
Bapst. and being II resident OF Ellis
worth ut the time OF that outrage,
was we'll acquainted with Mr.. Jones,
and say that every wordia Mr., Jones
letter is true.
Father Bapst generally staid ut
my house, but being from home On
the night of the outrage, lie stopped
mt Mr.. Kent's.
l must say, in addition to Mr.
Jones statement, that the fury OF the
mob, or in other words, the know
nothing party. in Ellsworth, was kept
up by u wealthy man in the town by
the name OF Seth Tisdale. He own
ed Il great many mills, and employed
u large number OF men, whose pas
sions he kept continually ut blood
heat against Foreigners and espec-
tally Irish Catholics, by reading the
Kennebec Journal, Il know nothing
paper published in Augusta, Maine
and edited by james Il. Blaine, the
man who Is now running for presi-
dent and begging for Catholic Irish
votes.
Mr.. Blaine as editor Of the Journal
did not denonnce the lastar,lly out
rage. but rather encouraged 1t 10y
saying, The mob must have had
great provocation to commit such Il
deed" When the mob took Father
Bapst from Mr.. kent's, they robbed
him Of $40 and Of my gold watch ]
had loaned him while his was being
repaired. As they were passing
General Jones' house, Father Baps,
cried to General Jones to save hin
but his voice was drowned by TIL,
hootings of the crowd, and big
burly negro struck him in the face
The shouts Of his prosecutors were
terrifyingand attracted the attention
OF woman, who asked the cause
aud was told they were going to tai
and feather "Old Bapst' ns the know
nothings called him. She asked i
they had the feathers, they said, no
when she returned to her house and
brought them pillow. Farther OF
they came to tree. and rope was
called for with which to hang him
but a majority protested, saying the,
would carry out the resolutions o
the meeting which was tar ant
feathers" After he was stripped
and tar and feathers applied, certai.
ones proposed to burn him, and h
was tied to Il tree for that purpose
but this failed as the matches woult
not light the brush wood. Afte
completing their tiendish work, the,
told him that II he said mass mex
day or was ever caught in Ellsworth
again they would kill him. Tn
riding on the sharp rail and othe
inhuman treatment had SO exhsust
cd Father Bapst that, with grea
difficulty he crawled back to MI
Kent's and knocked for admission
but the family fearing it was SOM
OF the mob refused to open tn
door until he made himself known
He told them to hand him out
sheet to cover his nakedness. whel
he entered. Mr.. Kent returning iron
u search fer him, gathered a fe,
friends who worked until 3 o'cloc
Sunday morning, cleansing kin
, from tar and feuthers. Duling til
time Gen, Jones came In, denounc
ed the mob, aud assured Fnthe
Bapst OF his friendship.
| Shortly after this the Know
Nothing mob went to burn GU
church, which we used also for
school house. but were prevente
by Col. Jarvis, y Protestant frien
of ours, who stood b between thel
and the church aud said they shout
pass over his dead body first. The
cheered the colonel ond retired; b,
two nights later they returned an
blew up the building with q to-
pedo fism which 1t caught fire an
!, was entirely consumed. They ais
few d.ys later, burned the ne
; church we were building: The seen
OF these cowardly Outrages was b.
n few miles from Agusta, and it
. useless to deny that the incendiar
= articles constantly written and pul
: lished by Mr.. Blaine in his k"nn'
bee Journal was almost the chi
!, cause of these fiendish acts. Ikne
= Mr.. Nadigan well, whom Blaine d
feated with the Muligan circular.
. was a member Of the Maine legi
lcture when Mr.. Madigan was 81
assistant clerk. / am now eight
n six years of age. and out OF polite
\ I only wish my countrymen to knc
> the exact truth rs to how Mr.. BlaiI
; prosecuted people of our faith VIII
= he thought he could do so with II
. punity. Shall we forget these ou
y RACES on November 4th? ! for o.
!, will not, but will cast my ball
= for Grover Cleveland. Very tru
/ yours,
THOMAS WHITE.