The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-01-17
MCNAMARA AT FAULT
Preeipitated a Riot at Kansas
City-Narrowl7 Escaped
Death.

KANSAS CITY, Jan. II, 1881. I. Nc
Namara, who styles himself an ex-Priest of
Rome, marched on the stage at Turner Hall
last night with a1oaded rifle in his hands.
Pr taking my life in my hands" he
shrieked, as he raised the rifle to take aim,
"but let the hoodlums and b~lacguards OF
Rome come on. My life is not my own. 1t
belongs to God and the A. P. A, | know
there is a plot to murder me in Kansas City
this very night, but there will be other blood
spilled before mine. | fear neither Bishop
| Hogan nor Father Dalton, nor Father Lillis,
nor any Of the church's gang of b~lackguards
| and hoodlums and %ruffians, but let them
| come, | an ready"
Then he advanced to the footlights and
dramatically declared that there was muir
| der in the air.
81 want loval men and brothers to tand
bv me-" he shouted. 81 val twenty7four
| volunteers, men who have Protestant hearts,
stout arms, strong nerves and quick eyes,
| stand up, those who are willing"
A dozen men stood up. Mcnamara told
them to go to the gallery, range themselves
| at equal distances and be ready for quick
action. Forward, march, " he called and
the twelve men went up to the gallary.
The hall was crowded at the time, there
being at least 1,200 people packed into it.
There was not the slightest disorder any
| where when Mcnamara appeared and not a
| suggestion of trouble.
INVITED THE RIOT.
His bold invitation for a riot was gratified
| before the night was quite half over. He
| lectured at the same hall Sunday night. He
then frequently made the most pointed and
| severe statements about the Catholic Church,
and said things every minute that were cal
culated to arouse Catholics almost to riot.
A stone was thrown at the end OF the lee
ture, whereat Mcnamara pulled a revolver
| and kept it displayed until he reached his
| carriage. There was only a small crowd at
the lecture and the facts were not generally
known until the next day. Mcnamara lee
tured at the hall yesterday afternoon to
women and last night to men.
News of the character OF his lectures had
spread and last night the hall was packed.
Outside there was a small crowd, which
grew to big proportions during the two and
| half hour lecture. Only once was it heard
from inside, then a big rock came sailing
through a window, with a great clatteI of
| broken glass and struck an auditor on the
head, making a bad bruise. There was no
disorder of consequence in the hall during
| the lecture. A drunken man once called out
Liar" He was promptly arrested and
| hustled out. Twenty-one policemen were in
and about the hall, but their services were
| not needed. McNamara's lecture was dis
gustingly filthy. Hardened FOUNDERS say
thew never heard anything so obscene. There
| were mingled cheers and misses often, but no
outbreak.
Turner Hall is at Twelfth and Oak streets,
| the former a much travelled street. About
it had gathered 1000 men at the closing of
the lecture.
| quickly seen that a good percentage of those
inside had been Catholics determined to
hear just what Mcnamara charged of their
church. Another proportion was OF the
A. F. A. men. They joined the men outside
| until fully 5000 men were about the hall. 1t
was a perfectly orderly crowd, marvellously
quiet for one that was waiting a chance for
an outbreak.
FIRED AT THE CROWD
The hall is on the second floor. The lights
were turned out, and Mcnamara and his
wife were left alone in the darkness. For
forty-five minutes the crowd waited quietly
| on the outside. Then the police became sat
isfed that there would be no outbreak and
| a carriage was called. 1t was compelled to
| wait for five minutes, and in this interval a
goodly portion of the crowd lined up Twelfth
| and Oak streets, uncertain which way Nc
Namara would depart. He came down the
| steps, rifle in hand, revolver in the
| other. His wife followed, with her
arm across her breast, holding a
| big revolver. The quickly stepped into
! the carriage. As it started up Twelfth street
one of the doors flew open. A man ran VI
as if to shut it for those inside, but instead
| broke the glass with q cane he carried.
A moment later Mcnamara stuck his pis-
tol out the window and fired point-blank at
the people on the south side of the street.
Then a yell of direful anger went up from
the crowd. Canes, stones, bricks, anything
upon which hands could be laid were thrown
at the rapidly moving carriage.
a dOznp shots were fred 9t it. the driver