The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-02-28
ISSUE AT SAVANNAH
PRESERVATION OF THE RIGHT OF
FREE SPEECH AT STAKE.
Ex-Pricst Slattcry Lost Sight of as an
Individunl-MasOnic Hall Closed
to His Wife Yesterday.

SAVANNAH, Ga, Feb. 27.-There has
been little work in the business portion of
Savannah to-day. 1t has been a day of
nervous anxiety and excitement. One thing
only has been talked of, and that the prin-
ciple of free speech. Ex-Priest Slattery
has been almost lost sight of as an indi-
vidual. 1t has ceased to be case of an
ex-priest desiring to lecture, and has be-
come, in the minds of many, a question of
the preservation of the right of free speech
in Savannah. There has been one general
expression of opinion-that Slattery should
lecture again if he desired, if it took the
whole military force and half of the citizens
to protect him. Prominent Catholics ex-
press the same opinion
Mrs. Slattery was booked to speak at
Masonic Temple this afternoon. This morn
ing Slattery applied to the Mayor for po-
lice protection to and from the hall. At 1
O'Clock this afternoon, under the escort of
the chief and lieutenant of police, four
mounted and twelve foot policemen, they
were taken to Masonic Hall. Prior to this
the managers of the Young Mems Hebrew
Association had notified Siattery that they
would break the contract and refuse to
allow the use of the hall, which they have
leased, as his language melted to riot and
endangered the lives and property of citi-
zens. Slattery would not consider the con-
tract @ broken Arriving at the hall the po-
hundred women were turned away Slat-
terry and President Haas, of the Hebrew
association, became involved in wordy
dispute. and the chief put SIattery under
arrest, but released him, as Haas declined
to enter any charge. After Slattery had
waited an hour for a lawyer, he and his
wife went back to the hotel escorted by
was almost impossible TO see the MOTEL for
the people who had congregated Masonic
Hall would have been unable to have held
the women if it had been opened. Finding
the hall locked many came down to the
Pulaski House There Mrs. Slattery held
reception. Hundreds called on her, and
some rendered her the use of their parlors
at home to lecture in. Slattery is making
arrangements to lecture in Odd Fellows Hail
tomorrow night. The entire police force
will be on hand, and some of the military
companies will probably be held in reserve
At o'clock this morning telephone mes
sage was sent to the police barracks stating
that crowd had collected in the lane in the
rear of the Masonic Temple, and that they
threatened to burn the hail. A detachment
of police was dispatched to the scene. There
were fully five hundred men in the mob, and
they could not be made to believe that Slat-
terry and his wife were not in the building.
The police found burned matches all about
the place, but fire had been lighted The
police guarded the building the remainder of
the night. Eight policemen We're injured last
night, several members of the military and
some who were in the crowd, but none was
hurt badly. The hope is generally expressed
that free speech is maintained here slattery
and his wife will leave Savannah at once
and let public feeling return to its normal
condition.
About o'clock this morning, four three
story buildings at Farm and Margaret
streets were blown up. The ex-
plosion wrecked them completely.
Efforts were made by some peo-
pie to connect this with the riot of last
night. but there is no evidence thus far
to sustain the theory. It out this
morning that one or two small pieces of
dynamite or some other high explosive We're
among the things thrown at Masonic Hall
last night. One exploded and shattered two
three window panes, Guards We're, kept
at the armories all last night. 1t is stated
that members of the "A. p A. have sent for
an organizer 10 come here and take ad-
vantage of the excited state OF the public
of the leaders of the rioters and they Will
be arrested as rapidly possible. One of
the leaders. in Police Court this morning
insulted and defied the recorder and was
sent to iail for thirty DAYS for contempt.