Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-02-25
TRIED TO STOP BOB INGERsOLL.
INVOKED a JERSEY STATUTE A
HUNDRED YEARS OLD.
But hnEcrsou Preached From His
Text just the Same and Paid His
Respects 10 the Preaehers--somc
Hitter Things He said.


NEW YORK. Feb. "a.
The attempts made 10 prevent Col.
lngersoll from delivering his lecture on
The Holy Bible at the Hoboken
theater tonight proved failure. As a
result Of the protest issued by pastors
Of three Of the most prominent church,
es In that place. Mayor Pagan yester-
day issued orders that the theater be
closed today. thereby practically de-
barring Col. Ingersoli from appearing.
Tho mayors decree oeeasioned much
comment last night with the result that
the matter was reconsldered today.
Before noon Mayor Pagan called upon
Rev. II. Beatty. the minister at the
front of the reform movement In
Hoboken and stated to him that 1t was
the opinion Of the corporation attorney
that no steps could be taken by the
authorities to stop the lecture.
shortly after noon a consultation was
held in the Office OF Chief OF Police
Donovan at which. Ia addition to the
chief the mayor ana Mr.. Clark, man
aser Tor Col, lngersoll, and Mr.. Davis,
manager Of the theator were present.
The two managers were Informed Of
the decision VI the corporation attorney
and they departed with the assurance
that the lecture might take place To
prevent any disturbance on the part
Of the audience aud also to stop any
blas1hemous utterAnces on the part Of
the lecturer. Detectives Nelson and
Gallagher were sent to the theater from
police headquarters.
Beyond frequent bursts of applause
the audience was most orderly and the
speaker confined himself almost en-
tirely to his text with occasional
ironical illusions to the ciergymen OF
Hoboken and the statute of New Jersey
law TO which the reformers had been
olinging. He began mis- well-known
lecture without any reference to efforts
to stop him until he had reached
point in the discourse for which evil
dontly he had been waiting where he
alludes to the ignorance and savagery
In the Bible. He broke away from his
text long enought to say: There was
enacted a statute Ia the state OF New
Jersey hundred years ago, when
most Of Its Inhabitants were savages
which says that nobody shall ever dis
cuss the Bible except on one side.
Since then the inhabitants have grown
more civilized. They have grown to
have a knowledge that they have been
50 civilized that they can realize its
absurdlty and that also the statute
sleeps In the dimness Of the past. 1t
was invoked by a number OF narrow
minded persons who should have died
three hundred years ago.
II don't blame them" the speaker
continued. ''their heads are that shape
and they are not to blame"
He said his audience could make up
their minds 'in secret about what
he had 10 say. for he believed there
was no statute against that"
That the Bible was inspired he had
some doubts. "but' he added, III the
legislature OF New York or New Jersey
say the Bible Is Inspired, It is and that
settles IT.
COL lngersoll grew a little more bitter
as the lecture progressed and declared
there never was any kindness in the
heart Of priest and he believed that
there we're persons In HobOken today
who would gladly bring fagots and
build FIRE around one OF their enc
mics.
He said that no criminal lawyer In
the state Of New Jersey would allow
minister on the fury that was to try
a client Of his, II was surprising, he
said, further on, how much these per
sons knew Of God and how little they
knew OF human nature.