Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1895-03-01

nav <SAAAsSAAS
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, described as an ex-nun, would
lecture here on Catholicism. Members
of the Ancient Order Of Hibernians at
once took steps to prevent their appear
ance here. Petitions We're circulated
asking Mayor Meyers to refuse permits
sion to the ex-priest to hold his lecture
When it was presented to the mayor by
a committee Of IL Catholics he handed
them written opinion from the corpo
ration 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. +s:g
All day it had been rumored that
mobs would come from different sec
tons 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 Catil-
olics. Mayor Meyers issued instruc-
lions to Chief McDermott to have the
entire available police force on hand al
Masonic Temple.
BY O'Clock bowling mob Of over
1900 surrounded Masonic hall. In the
hall We're an audience of about 400, in
Guiding "a number of ladies'. The lee
turer had hardly begun before
Brickbats and Cobblestones
began to rain on the windows. The
police had closed all the heavy Inside
shutters, thus saving the audience from
injury, only two or three being injured
by falling glass. The rest of the police
force was called ont and 80 men were
soon in front Of the hall. The mob
made rushes to secure an entrance but
were driven back time after time by the
police. Before o'clock the mob had
grown to probably between 5000 and
1000 people. Window after window
in the Masonic Temple was crushed.
The lecture closed at $50, and it was APP
parent that it
NA0duV Sh0 A<O'19 "a 1sAUny 1.-TWO
for the lecturer and the audience to
leave the hall. As the ex-priest was
about to 20 out on the street with his
friends the chief Of police stopped them
and refused to allow anyone to go down.
stairs. Outside Mayor Meyers and
Colonel William Garrard were in con-
sultation. The mob Missed at the police
and hooted at their orders to disperse.
The military alarm, II taps Of all fire
bells in the city, was sent in. The
Georgia Hussars, dismounted, under
command of Major Mildrem, were
The First to Respond.
The organization contained 30 men in
all. The mob evidently believed that
was all there were to be brought out
and laughed at them as they drew up in
front of the hall. Soon after the tramp
of other military was heard and four
companies of the Savannah Volunteer
Guards under command Of Colonel,
Garrard, swung into position in front Of
the hall with fixed bayonets and rifles
loaded with ball cartridges. By order
of the mayor the guards formed in two
single lines and charged the mob with
fixed bayonets in hope of breaking it.
The mob was
Showed Back Slowly,
but refused to break, and occasionally
rocks were thrown at the hall. Six
companies from the First regiment, un-
der Lieutenant Colonel Reilly, came up
soon afterwards, making II companies
in all on the ground. While a, consul
tation of the commanding officers and
mayor was held, Captain J. H. Dillon,
one of the most prominent Catholics Of
the city, rendered his services as q
peacemaker. He brought Vicar General
Cafferty, who is in charge of the diocese
in the absence of Bishop Becker, to the
scene of trouble. The vicar general adj
dressed a portion Of the mob, requesting
them
To Disperse and Go Home. 81
A few of those he addressed left, but
the majority stood still. Major Mildrem
and others urged the mob to dispense,
but to no purpose. -.
With a 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. Slattery and his wife and
q few men remained in the hall. The
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 the police
men and the mayor there was howl
from the mob, but the other military
charging pushed it back in all direc-
lions. Slattery was placed in the GEM
ter Of the military and headed bya |
Detachment of Mounted Police .
and with foot police on the sides and
four companies Of infantry, amid Kisses
and jeers, escorted to the Pulaski House.,
followed by hundreds. At the hotel a
mob of 500 Or 600 gathered. The mill
@l.. n