The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1892-10-29

| to tell her story as the correspondent
was to write it She settled herself
in her chair and asked that some OF
her previous answers might be read
to her that she might pass upon their
correctness. Then she looked as
though ready for the next question
1t was:
"Where did the first trouble take
place?"
"Our first trouble was at Waycross?'
'Mrs. Lease, please give me in
detail a full account of your expert
ences?"
The lady hesitated for a minute
and then said: -....
"Begin-.ing at Waycross, in the
southern part Of Georgia, we received
our first intimation of impending
trouble as we alighted from the train,
when we noticed the depot platform
and sidewalks strewn with circulars
warning everyone to keep away from
our meetings. This was for those
who could read. For those who could
not read, messengers were stationed
along the roads to meet the people as
they came into town and tell them
that an admission free of so cents
would be eXacted from them before
they could enter the meeting. This
turned many OF. tee country people
and negroes back: and through the
efforts of third partyiteS fair
audiance greeted us and accorded us
a respectful hearing. We congrat-
ulated ourselves on having a success
full meeting: but after our people had
left town the ''chiyalric" democratic
thugs emerged from their hiding
places and plotted murder. Their
plan was to waylay Gen. Weaver as
he boarded the night train. Our
chairman, HI. G. Reed, of Waycross,
who has since written more than he
dared to tell us at the time, heard of
lawlessness premeditated, and seeking
the mayor implored him for the honor
Of the south to do everything in his
power to protect Gen. Weaver and
party. The mayor, several special
police, Mr.. Reed and fifteen alliance
men renamed at the depot all that
night to protect us. We, unconscious
of the danger, had at the last moment
decided to take morning train;
hence we escaped with our lives, not
knowing that a gang of ruffians who
had made night hideous were waiting
to assault US. We have since heard
facts from our chairman, Mr.. Reed,
that would not have soothed our
nerves ii we had known them at the
time.
"From Waycross we proceeded to
Albany, not without misgivings,
however, as we had been informed
that that place was the stronghold
of organized democracy"
Mrs. Lease paused for moment
and sat quite still, as though her
thoughts we're, for the instant, lost in
retrospection. She seemed briefly to
treview mentally some Of the perils
through which she had passed, and
there was, for second, look almost
of terror in her eyes. Then, gather
ing herself together, she resumed her
composed 'demeanor and continued:
"ShOrtly after our arrival at
Albany turbulent, bowling, drunken
mob gathered in and around the
hotel. The democratic chairman
came and offered us the use of the
opera house free, and assured us on
the faith of Georgian, we would not
be molested nor our meeting inter
rupted. Yet, notwithstanding the
gentlemen's honor was at stake, we
were frequently interrupted in the
vilest manner. A plot had been
laid to shut us in the opera house and
at the conclusion of our addresses we
would be compelled to listen to a
TRADE of drunken abuse from negro
hired by the chivalric democracy to
demonstrate their ideas of social
equality.
"At Columbus another storm
awaited us. A reporter of the
Atlanta Journal, who had made a
speciality of collecting affidavits in
regard to Gen. Weaver's war record
at Pulaski, and who had followed us
persistently to incite rOwdyism, was
present at this meeting, and, as usual,
attempted a disturbance. Enough of
our people were present, however,
partially to suppress it, but we
suffered a great deal of indignity.
"At Macon the trouble eliminated.
This time not the hOodlumS of the
city, but the leading citizens of the
democratic club, as was shown by a
notice sent out the previous week,
prepared to show their strength at
our meeting by disturbances that
would suppress free speech. At 2 p.
M, when our meeting was supposed
to be under full headway, the demo
cratic club, 500 strong, with banners
flying and band playing Dixie,
marched into the very midst of our
meeting, and speech was drowned by
the frenzied yells of a mob who were
ready for any deed of violence, melted
by the democratic leaders, to laugh
at lawlessness and clasp hands with
murder. After the mob had become
unn anageable-had bombarded the
hotel with rotten eggs, assaulted Mrs.
Gen. Weaver, driven our party from
the balcony, and pressed into the
hotel, and the proprietor was con-
cerned for his building and the safety
of his guests-the chairman of the
democratic club, Mr.. Atkinson,
accompanied by the principal of the
Macon university and DR.. Heidi, M.
E. pastor, implored me to address the
mob, if only for five minutes, that
the odium might be lifted from their
city. The university professor
assured me that their young men had
heard naught but democratic talk for
twenty years.
"Mr. Atkinson assince stated that
but one bad little boy threw but one
good little egg, which happened to
strike Mrs. Weaver. An unqualified