The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1895-02-25
NGTRS0JL A WINNER
Futile Attempt to Suppress the
Colonel in Hoboken.
THE MAYOR REs0IUDs lis ORDER.

ILL Al-AA L " Az ANAAhlJA ~ llJ LIZ OAlA
As the Result of Protest by Leading Min
listers Mayor Pagan Decided to Prevent
the Ingersoll Lecture, but Yielded TO the
City Attorneys Opinion.
HoBoKEN, N. j., Feb. 25-The attempt
made to prevent Colonel Robert Ingersoll
from delivering his lecture on "The Holy
Bible" at the HoboSen theatre last night
proved failure. AS the result of pro
test issue by the pastors of three of this
most prominent churches in that place
Mayor Pagan on Saturday issued orders
that the theater be closed yesterday,
thereby practically debarring Colonel
Ingcrsol from appearing. The mayor S
decree ocoasioned great deal of comment
Saturday night, with the result that the
matter was reconsidered yesterday.
Before noon Corporation Attorney Min
turn and Mayor Pagan called upon the
Rev. H. L. Beatty, the minister who is at
the head and front of the reform move
ment In Hoboken, and stated to him that
1t was the opinion of the corporation at
torney that no steps could be taken by the
authorities to stop the lecture Shortly
after noon a consultation was held in the
office of Chief of Police Donovan, at which,
in addition to the chief, the mayor and
Mr.. Clark, manager for Colonel Ingersoll,
and Mr.. Davis, the manager Of the theater,
were present. The two managers were
informed of the decision of the corpora
tion attorney, and they departed with the
assurance that the lecture might take
place.
To prevent any disturbance on the part
of the audience, and also to stop any bias
phemOus utterances on the part of the
lecturer, Detectives Nelson and Gallagher
were sent to the theater from police head
quarters. Beyond frequent bursts of ap-
plause, the audience was most orderly,
and the speaker confined himself almost
entirely to his text, with an occasional
| ironical allusion to the clergymen of Ho-
| bOken and the statute of New Jersey law
to which the reformers had been clinging.
He began his well known lecture with
out any reference to the attempt to stop
him until he had reached a point in the
discourse for which evidently he had been
| waiting-where he alluded to the ignor-
ance and savagery in the Bible. He broke
away from his text long enough to say:
"There was enacted a statute in the
state of New Jersey hundred odd years
ago, when most of it's inhabitants were
savages, which says that nobody shall ever
| discuss the Bible except on one side. Since
| then the inhabitants have grown more
civilized. They have grown to have a
knowledge Of fair play; they have been
/ civilized to a degree where they can real
ize it's absurdity, and to realize that the
statute sleeps in the dimness of the past.
1t has been invoked by number of mar
row minded persons who should have died
three hundred years ago. l do not blame
| them. Their heads are that shape and
they are not to blame"
He said his audience could make up
| their minds Gin secret" " about what he
had to say for he believed there was nc
statute against that" That the Bible
was inspired he had some doubts; but, -
he added, "if the legislature of New
Jersey says the Bible is inspired, it is, and
that settles it,"
Colonel Ingersoll grew little more bit
ter as the lecture progressed, and declared
there never was any kindness in the heart
of priest, and he believed that there were
persons in Hoboken today who would
gladly light faggots and build a fire
around one of their enemies. He said that
no criminal lawyer in the state of New
Jersey would allow a minister on the jury
that was to try Il client of his. 1t is sur.
prising, he said further on, how much
these parsons knew of God aud how little
they knew of human nature.