The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1895-02-27

Ez-Priost Slsttory Narrowly Els
oapes the Fury Of a Mob,
MILITIAMEN PREVENT BLOODsEED
BIobs Surround the Lecture Hall and Break
i'm the wiudows--Dispersed at the Point
of the Bayonet-savannah' Determined
Mayor Acted Promptly.

of the Bayonet-savannah's Determined
Mayor Acted Promptly.
SAVANNAH, Feb. 27.-Last night was the
most exciting night in the history of Sa-
vannah. For five hours the city trembled
on the verge of religious riots The entire
white military force of the city except the
artillery has been on duty. There are ten
infantry companies and the Georgia Hus-
sars, the latter being dsmounted A mob
of from 5000 to 5000, the greater part be-
ing Catholics, challenged their forbearance
lO the extreme But for the GOODNESS of
Mayor Herman Myers 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, one of the principal
buildings of the city and situated in the
heart of Savannah, stubbornly refused to
retire.
For three days it had been apparent that
grave trouble was brewing. The city had
been literally placarded with notices that
ex- Priest Slattery and his wife, de-
soribed as an ex-nun. would lecture here
on Catholicism. Members of the Ancient
Order of Hibernians at once took steps to
were circulated asking Mayor Myers to
refuse to permit the ex-priest to hold his
lecture. The petition said that if Slattery
was allowed to speak there would be dis
order and riot. About 500 signed the pc
tition.
When the petition was presented to the
mayor by a committee of twelve Cath
olics, including the presidents of two di-
visions of the A. O. H., he handed them
written opinion from the corporation at
torney to the effect that he, as mayor, had
no power to abridge the right of free
speech guaranteed by the constitution of
the United States and Georgia. In his
opinion the city attorney said that there
could be no disorder or trouble If those
who would be offended by Slattery's re-
marks would stay away from his lecture.
He urged all to do So Mayor Myers also
| asked the committee to advise all Cath
olics to keep away from the lecture.
"I cannot stop this man from lecturing,"
| said the mayor, who is Hebrew, but L
can prevent disorder, and l will do so. If
/ the police are not sufficient force to do so
| the military will be appealed to Riot will
not be tolerated"
The committee stated that it was their
desire to avoid trouble, and that they
would use their influence in that direction.
They did so, but their efforts utterly failed.
| All day yesterday it had been rumored
| that mobs would come from different sec
tions of the city, and that Slattery would
| be killed The fact that he was to put on
the garb of "a priest in the course of his
lecture spread like wildfire, and raised an
intense feeling among Catholics Mayor
| Myers issued instructions to Chief McDer-
mott to have the entire available police
force on hand at Masonic Temple. Fifteen
policemen were stationed inside the hall,
and thirty others were massed in front.
BY z o'clock several hundred had col
lected When Slattery arrived the mob
had not assumed large enough proper
tions to cope with the police By s o'clock
a howling mob of over fifteen hundred
isurrounded Masonic Temple. In the hall
were an audience of about four hundred,
Including a number of ladies' The lee
turer had hardly begun before bricks and
cobblestones began to rain on the win
dows The police had closed all the heavy
inside shutters, thus saving the audience
from injury, only two or three being in
jured by flying glass. The rest of the po-
lice force was called out and fifty officers
were soon in front of the hall.
The mob made rushes to secure an en-
trance, but were driven back time after
time by the police. Before o'clock the
mob had grown to probably between three
and four thousand people. Window after
window in the Masonic Temple was
crashed. Cries of "Kill him, "Down with
Slattery," death to the renegade" were
heard. Chief McDermott summoned the
mayor. The lecture closed at $3.50 O'Clock
and it was apparent that it meant the loss
of many lives for the lecturer and the au
dience to leave the hall.
| Upstairs a number of members of secret
} organizations who had cheered Slattery''
declaration that he belonged TO them hat
gathered around the ex-priest to defent
him as they left the hall. A number, il
was evident had come armed in antici
patton of such trouble AS the expires
was about to leave the hall with hi
friends, the chief of police stopped then
and refused to allow any one to go dowI
stairs. Outside Mayor Myers and Colone
William Garrard were in consultation
The mob hissed at the police and hooted a
their orders to disperse. The militar,
alarm was sent in, but when it sounded
the mob deried it, Bring on your mill
tary" some of the leaders shouted ''T,
| III Wluu ulNllli uuSg StlLihob Saw l'AHe
terry"
Very soon there We're eleven compante
in front of the hall, with fixed bayonet
and rifles loaded with ball and cartridges
BY order of the mayor the guards formed
in two single lines and charged the mol
with fixed bayonets in hope of breaking IL
The mob was showed back slowly, but re
fused to break, and occasional rocks wer'
thrown at the hall. The mob was sulleI
and defiant, and apparently determined.
The military We're then deployed so as
to drive the mob back and form hollow
- square about the hall Then Captain j
3 Ii. Dillon, one of the most prominen
Catholics of the city brought Vicar Gen
eral Cafferty to the scene of the trouble
The vicar general addressed portion o
the mob, saying they We're bringing dis
grace upon their religion and pleading
| with them to disperse and go home ant
| not render it necessary to shed blood.
Y | &c. 90 tbocp he addressed shook the ViCa