The Coconino weekly sun., 1895-03-07
A ROWLING MOB.

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 Wild Scenes at Savannah, Ga.-A Mob At-
 tacks an Ex-Priest Who Attem pts to
 Lecture Against the Catholics-Military
 Take . Hand.
 SAVANNAH, Ga., Feb. e7.-Last night was the most exciting night in the his- tory of Savannah. For five hours the city trembled on the verge of religious riots. The entire white military force of the city, except the artillery, was on duty. A mob estimated at from 5000 to 5000, the greater part being Catholics, challenged their for bearance to the extreme. But for the coolness of Mayor Meyers and the officers commanding the troops, blood might have been the result. Bayonet charges were made several times to clear the streets, but the mob which had gathered about Masonic temple stubbornly refused to retire. For three days it has been apparent that grave trouble was brewing. The city had been literally placarded with notices that ex-Priest Slattery and his lecture here on Catholicism. Members of the Ancient Order of Hibernians at once took steps to prevent their ap- pearance here. Petitions were circu- lated asking Mayor Meyers to refuse permission to the ex-priest to hold his lecture. The petition said that if Slattery was allowed to speak there would be disorder and riot. About 800 signed the peti- tion. When it was presented to the mayor by committee of twelve Cath. olics, including the presidents of two divisions of the Ancient Order of Hi- bernians, he handed them written opinion from the corporation attorney to the effect that he, as mayor, had no power to abridge the right of speech guaranteed by the constitution of the United States and Georgia.
 All yesterday it had been rumored that mobs would come from different sections of the city and that Slattery would be killed. The fact that he was to put on the garb of priest in the course of his lecture spread like wildfire and raised an intense feeling among Catholics. Mayor Meyers issued instruc- tions to Chief McDermott to have the entire available police force on hand at Masonic temple. When Slattery ar rived the mob had not assumed large enough proportions to cope with the police. By s o'clock bowling mob of over 1,50O sur rounded Masonic hall. In the hall was an audience of about 400, includ- ing a number of ladies. The lec- turer had hardly begun before brickbats and cobblestones began to rain on the windows. The police had closed all the heavy inside shut ters, thus saving the audience from in- jury, only two or three being injured by the falling glass. The mob made rush to secure an entrance, but was driven back time after time by the police. Before Q o'clock the mob had grown to probably between 5000 and 4,0O0. Window after window in the Masonic temple was crashed. Cries of kill himw Down with Slattery. Death to the renegader' were heard. Chief McDermott summoned the mayor. The lecture closed at 9:3O o'clock.
 The mob hissed at the police and hooted at their orders to disperse. The military alarm-eleven taps on all fire bells in the city-was sent in, but when 1t sounded the mob derided it. The Georgia hussars, dismounted, were the first to respond. Soon after the tramp of other military was heard and four companies of the Savannah volun- teer guards swung into position in front of the hall with fixed bayonets and rifles loaded with ball cartridges. Six companies from the First regiment came up soon afterwards, making eleven companies on the ground.
 With double line of soldiers block was formed, and while the rest of the military kept the crowd back, nearly all of the audience passed out of the hall amid misses. Four companies of guards were then banked about the door of the hall with the police and Slattery was brought down. As he came out with eight policeman and the mayor, there was a howl from the mob, but the other military, charging, pushed it back in all direc- tions. Slattery was placed in the center of the military, and, headed by a detachment of mounted police and with foot police on the sides and four companies of infantry, amid misses and jeers, marched to the Pulaski house, followed by hundreds.