The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-05-28

Phillips would hold his audience to the end.
and he did. But the place was hot with
rage. A few men in such circumstances
can create great disturbance, al tie
whole audience we Judged that J., rhaps a
third were hostile. Word was brought that
crowd was collecting outside, which could
have but one meaning. When Phillips ended
there was storm, both of applause, and
of groans and angry shouts, from the audi
ence. went to the police officer in charge
He met me with beaming face and the re-
mark We'll, you see it has passed off all
right" 1T has not begun YETI l said.
begged him to take possession with all his
force of the long, narrow, open-air passage
leading from the Music Hall to White r
Street, and told him the message that had
come in from our own men. He stared, but
replied it could do no harm, and marched
his two companies off. They were just in
time. The mob were already pouring into
the passage, which, from it's narrowness.and
length, was only too we'll suited to their
purpose. The police sofficer saw what he
had to deal WITH he sent off for REINFORCE
ments. Tell Mr.. Ham we want every man
he can spare" Mr.. Ham did better than
send all he could spare, he came himself
He was an officer who knew his duty, and
did it; clear-headed, prompt, resolute,
courageous, and tactician. The passage
from the hall enters Winter street at
point about equidistant from either end.
To reach Washington Street, the direct
road to Essex Street, you turned out of the
passage to the left, Winter Street was al
ready packed from end to end with mob
The deputy chief sent body of his men. In
formed them to the right across the whole
emf no II, txuo Ac
lips came out of the door his friends closed
in, and we started down the passage.
There were cries, There he isl Down
with him. xiii him." and a rush which
came to naught. The police held steadily
on and reached Winter Street, which there
had been no time to clear, nor was the
force adequate. Turning the corn er was a
delicate business, but once in the street the
police soon made room for themselves, the
different sections of the force united, and
the march to Essex Street began. The
distance Is from third of a mile to a half
1t took us an hour to make the journey.
The mob was numbered by thousands. The
pressure and crush were very great. But
for the police our little company would
have been swept away at once and Philips
with them.
1t was just past noon, brilliant morn
| ing the sun shining, the air clear and
cold, aud never before had the Sabbath
| been celebrated in this way in this Puri-
| tan capital of Puritan commonwealth.
The morning services in the churches
were over, the church bells were silent,
| PRAYERS had been duly offered up in the
commercial spirit then prevalent in the
churches, and you heard the echo of
them in the curses and murderous
| threats which filled the air outside.
| Phillips listened to them, and watched
| the throng struggling to get at him.
| We walked together, his arm was in
| mine and the pressure of it was light
| and steady. His eyes burned, and he
was evidently ready for whatever might
befall. but, on the whole. his bearing
| was that of an interested observer of
events. Washington street. the main
| business thoroughfare OF Boston, was
| packed as tight with human beings
| mostly in II state of anger, as Winter
| street. Once there, thought the worst
| over. The solid ranks of the stalwart
policemen had never been broken,
| though often shaken, and we moved
a little faster. The mob could not be
| kept out of Essex street, but the entrance
| to the house which looked down Harr:-
son Avenue was finally cleared. Phillips.
with half dozen friends. went safely in,
the police remained on guard, and the
baff1ed mob had nothing to do but dis
perse. From" Memories of Wendell Phil
| lips, oby George W. Smalley, in Harper's
Magazine for June