The Forrest City times., 1895-05-17
J. w. Hicks, the Fx-priest Stoned
 and Egged.

J. ". Hicks. claiming to have been a priest of the Roman Catholic church. began series of lectures at the court house on Friday night May 10. His lecture Friday night was delivered to an audience of ladies and gentlemen. and was upon the subject. The United States. vs. the Pope" Throughout he hr made startling assertions. some of of which We quote, leaving the reader to ascertain theil trutkfulnesS. He asserted that the |. S. Army and Navy are, practically, nnder Catholic control: that. White the Roman Catholics con stitute only fourteen per cent. of the population, iifty-four per cent of the civil offices ot tliS. government are held by members of that church.
 Saturday night he spoke to men only. exposing Confessional. Nunnerips. and other secret institutions of the Roman Catholic church. His lecture was inter persed by obscene jests. and his lan- guage was- unnecessarily uuchaste. In dealing, with such subjects, 1t is plain statement of facts that is desired {: useless vulgarlty Is revoting and nanseating.
 Sunday night he confined his dis course to the attempted refutation of the Roman Catholic claim that it is "one, holy, apostelic,' ; catholic church.
 His Sunday evening discourse was very we'll delivered. heinz interrupted however. by some miScreant. who threw a brick against the door. This caused most of the ladies to leave be- ffore he had finished.
 Monday morning abont 1l:30. while going from the post office to Cook $
 Hotel.-where he was stopping-he
 was pelted with eggs by cuupie of
 hoodluml boys. Earl Gary and Chas.
 Curry. He ran to his hotel. secured
 his pistol, and returned to tte scene Cary retreated through TIiE TIMES office and Curry took refuge in the poss office. The eX-priest returned his pistol to his hotel and the affair resulted in
 the arrest of J. w. Hicks, charged
 with carrying a pistol, Curry and Cary. charged with disturbing the peace. and | the latter was also charged with carry l ing d pistol. Ina trial of Cary and
 Curry foI disturbing the peace was set l for Tuesday at two o'clock. but was
 reset to Friday. The case of Hicks for carrying d pistol was tried in Mayor
 Winthrop's court Tuesday. the jury 1 discharging the defendant after being ont about five minutes. tsrev's trial
 was set for Wednesday, at 10 O clock 1 A change of venue to Squle RaitoIds court WAS granted by Squire Nelson.
 Monday night Hicks iecct ured 10 q much larger audience than befma. his escapade having considerably adyertis- 1 ed him.
 Tuesday evening he lectured upon the subject. What has Catholicism | done for, Womauhood during the Past 1 sixteen Centuries. During this lee. ] tue Ire made the assel tlOn that, the ! Pope had issued an edict. which would i go into effect in this country on July 1 i. 1895. prohibiting women from slug i ing in Catholic choiTs. In tl.s lecture i he reviewed the history otthe church | picturng in animated terms the iniqnities of the Inquisition. the perSe- | cution of PrOteStantS. the burning of 1 iiatimer. Craumpr and Ridley. and climaXing hsS. Scathing denunciatian ! by q vivid pen-pictme of the horrible Massacre ofS%. Bartholomew on Aug. 24. l572.
 For whatever purpose Hicks may be lecturing-M whether iu the interest of some assnciation. or. for the shekels there are in it-it was a dismal failure lis. audiences were small, and his hloud-curdling stories of the dark ages failed to interest the people. who, to l;se the language Of Mark Twain, want to hear about something alive. But for the throwing of'the bIicks and the pelting of eggs. Hicks would have come and gare.Iunoticed.
 He left for, Mariamna Wednesday af- teTno0n,