The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1895-03-02
RiOI' AT SAVANNAH.
Wild Scenes OF i}xcitamon5 il tho
Southern Cisy.
\ Nob of Catho;iCs At.a.', nn E>-E'ri-s:
Hho Att:inp.s I" Iectnra -r'ic Han
.liddleJ with S;"ucs-.. Military
Gusiis the Riot


SAVANNAH, III. 4 81. -t.r-l lIlSL HiGHb
was the most cNritint night in the his
tory of Savannah. i'pr five hours the
city tremblcl On the verge of religious
riots. The entire white military force
of The city, except the artillery, was on
duty. mob estimated ut from 3.00U
to 5000, The greater part Icing
Catholics. challenged their for
bcarancc To the extreme. But
for the GOODNESS of Mayor Meyers and
the officers commanding the troops,
blood might have been the result.
Hayonct charges We're made several
times to clear the streets, bat the mob
which had gathered about Masonic
temple stubbornly refused to retire.
For three days it has been apparent
that grave trouble was brewing. The
city had been literally placarded with
notices that eXpriesi Slattery and his
wife, described as an cX-nuuI, would
lecture here on Catholicism. Members
of the Ancient Order of iii1crnians at
once took steps To prevent their ap-
pearance here. Petitions were circu-
lated asking Mayor Meyers to refuse
permission to the eN-pricSt to
| hold his lecture. The petition
! said that il Slattcry was allowed
to speak there world be disorder
and riot. About 800 signed the petit
ton. When il was presented to the
mayor by a committee of twelve Cath.
olics, including the presidents OF two
! divisions of the Ancient Order Of Hi
| bernians, he handed them Il written
; opinion from the corporation attorney
I 4..t
power to abridge the right of speech
guaranteed by the constitution of the
| United States and Georgia.
All yesterday it had been rumored
that mobs would come from different
sections 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 wildiire
and raised an intense feeling among
! Catholics. Mayor Meyers issued instruc-
tions to Chief McDerInott to have the
entire available police force on hand
at Masonic temple. When Slattery ar
rived the mob had not assumed
large enough proportions 10 cope
with the police. BY $ o'clock
n howling mob OF over l.5O0 sur
|
was an audience of about 400. includ-
ing n number of ladies. The lee
turer had hardly begun before
brick bats and cobblcs;ones began To
rain on the windows. The police
had closed all the heavy inside shut
ters, thus saving the audience from in
jury, only two or three being injured
by the falling glass The mob made Il
| rush to secure an entrance, but was
driven back tune after time by the
police. Before . o'clock the mob had
grown to probably between 5000 and
4.UO0. Window after winlo 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 9;3t
o'clock.
The mob hissed at the police ant
hooted at their orders to disperse
The military alarm eleven taps on al
fire bells in the city-was sent in, bu
when it sounded the mob derided it
The Georgia hussars. dismounted, wer,
the first to respond. Soon after tn,
tramp of other military was heard ant
four companies of the Savannah volun
teer guards swung into position ii
! front of the hall with fixed bayonet
and rifles loaded with ball cartridges
Six companies from the First regimen
came up soon afterwards, making
) eleven companies on the ground.
: With II double line of soldiers blocl
was formed, and while the rest of tn