The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-02-26
WITH POLICE BY HIS SIDE.
sLATTERY DOES NOT THINK HE
WILL HAVE ANY TROUBLE.

The Police VIII Enforce Order nt
the Lecture and VIII see That
Nothing Improper i Said-1Ir. Stat
terry Replies TO the Charges
Against Him.
Ex-Priest Slattery announces ia to-day's
Morning News that he viii deliver his lee
ture on the Roman Catholic priesthood
at Masonic hail tonight Chief McDer-
mott VIII be on hand with "a squad OF POI
lice and will occupy seat on the stage
by instruction Of the mayor
A committee Of Catholic citizens called
on Mayor Myers again at noon yesterday
in reference to the slattery lectures and
presented a petition largely signed urg-
ing the mayor 10 prevent the lectures on
the grounds that said lectures consist
in the abuse, ridicule and viiincauon Of
the Catholic church and the representa-
ttves thereof, and being satisfied that if
they are permitted that trouble, disorder
and riot viii prevail thereat."
Mayor Myers reply 20 the committee
was substantially the same as the state
ment from him published IN
yesterdays Morning News. City
Attorney Adams was present
and had prepared an opinion on the sub
1ect by request Of the mayor. Mr.. Adams
said in delivering his opinion:
Il cannot find any statute or ordinance
which would uphold an order by you as
mayor to prevent the lecture. Under our
constitution liberty Of speech is guar
anteed. The lecturer has. it seems, hired
"A han and attendance upon the lecture is
optional No breach of the peace can
ensue if those who win be offended by his
remarks viii stay away ! do not see
fHssHH.
late any law in his expressions. II he
does he can then be made amenable to the
law violated
Il infer. from a handbil that 7 have
seen and from his advertisement that
his lecture will. in all probability, be
very Objectionable 10 all respectable and
fairminded people without reference 90
their religious views. Lectures like his
can do harm, and harm only. AS a citi-
zen and man / very much regret he
has come here, and I sincerely trust that
all Of our people will evince their disap-
probation of the lecturer and his methods
by staying away While this is so. / am
constrained. reluctantly. TO submit this
opinion as TO the law"
The committee seemed very much dis
appointed and urged the necessity OF the
Mayors taking action to preserve the
peace. He informed them that he was
pOwerless to prevent the lecture, but that
the peace. The committee was composed
entirely Of young men. the majority being
members of the Ancient Order Of Hibern-
fans. They wish fl understood, however,
and particularly requested that it be
stated, that they did not come on this
errand as members of the order which
was evidenced by the fact that some OF
the members of the committee were not
members of the order.
A Morning News reporter saw the pres
ident Of one Of the divisions who stated
that the order had taken no action what
soever in reference to the matter. What
ever any member may have done was IN
the capacity OF citizens. he said, and
while the committee which called on the
mayor with petitions requesting that the
lecture be stopped consisted Of some Hi
bernians it was not composed entirely OF
them.
The organization will take no notice
of Mr.. Slattery," he said
I'VE have his record. He
IS not worthy of the attention that has
already been bestowed upon him, and in
the words of Mr.. Adams, / sincerely trust
that all of our people will evince their
disapprobation Of the lecture and his
methods by staying away"
You say you have his record?"
Yes. l have information from Mr.
Patrick Ford, editor of the Irish World
that Slattery was suspended by Cardinal
44t0dbt anu AfNADlSlOp W dlSn OF Dublin.
was expelled by the Baptists in Philadel-
phia and arrested by the chief of police
of Boston for selling obscene literature
on the street."
'Dou you think any other Catholic or
PLANTATIONS win notice him?" he was
asked.
mo. The officers of all the other
Catholic organizations in the city, I have
40 doubt desire that no attention be paid
TO him, ana will advise their members
to pursue the same course"
The mayor of Davenport, Ia, Mr.. Henry
Nollmer, a non-Catholic, refused to grant
him license to lecture in that city. and
one of the reasons given was that the
right of free speech guaranteed by the
constitution would not permit of the in
Sulting of women
Mr.. Slattery was seen at the Pulaski
last night and asked about these charges.
"They are false" he said. Il have never
been a drinking man. l think too much OF
my body for that. Does this body look
as If it was raised upon liquor?"
Mr.. Slattery is six feet three and weighs
about 200 pounds
up to the time that left the priesthood
there was never charge against me. I
was never under censure, and left the
priesthood of my own win and accord. l
remained in Ireland for several months
after 1 left the priesthood and not a single
charge was made against me up to the
time of my departure. | was never eX-
communicated publicly and l do not vet
know whether any sentence of eXcommun-
ication was ever passed against me. I
was never expelled from the membership
of any Baptist church. I was baptized
in New York, removed my membership TO
Philadelphia and afterward to Boston
where it now is. / am now an ordained
minister in good standing of the Massa-
chusetts Baptist conference.
Glaffar-ar nrOQnrag tho Of ro
last Massachusetts Baptist conference of
1894, in which his name appeared among
the list of other ordained ministers He
also produced testimonials from the phil
adelphia conference Of Baptist minis
tiers and from the East Baptist church Of
Philadelphia
II was arrested once in Pittsburg on
the charge of circulating obscene Htera-
ture" he said. Il was at
that time at work engaged in
translating a work studied by the Catho-
lie priests in the seminaries, from the
Latin, and it was upon this that the
charge was based
Two glass signs advertising the lectures.
which had been placed by Mr.. Slatterv's
agent at the corner Of Liberty and Whit
aler streets one at each corner on 5I,a