The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1895-02-28
COLONEL INGERSOLL
AN ATTEMPT MADE TO PREVENT
HIS LECTURE
On the "Holy Bible"-Pastors of Hobo
ken, N. j., Protest and Invoke a
Blue" Law, but the Willy Bob
Spoke Just the Same.

New York, Feb. 24.-The attempts
made to prevent Colonel Ingersol from de-
llyering his lecture on the "Holy Bible
at the Hoboken theatre tonight proved a
failure. AS result of the protest issued
by pastors of three of the most prominent
churches in that place Mayor Pagan yes
terday issued orders that the theatre be
closed today, thereby practically debar-
ring Colonel lngersoll from appearing.
Inc mayors decree occasioned much
comment last night with the result that
the matter was reconsidered today. Be
fore noon Mayor Pagan called upon Rev.
i. Beatty, the minister at the front of
the reform movement in Hoboken, and
STATED TO him that it was the opinion of
the corporation attorney that no steps
could be taken by the authorities to stop
the lecture. Shortly after noon a consul
tatlon 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, manager of the theatre, were pres
| emit. The two managers were informed
OF the decision of the corporation attor-
ney 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 Dlasphemous utterances on the part
OF the lecturer, Detectives Nelson and
Gallagher were sent to the theatre from
police headquarters. Beyond frequent
bursts OF applause the audience was most
| orderly and the speaker confined himself
almost entirely to his text with the oc.
caSlonal allusion to the clergymen of Ho.
boken and the statute of New Jersey law
to which the refOrmers had been clinging.
lie began his well known lecture without
any reference to the effort to stop him
until he had reached a point in the dis
course for which evidently he had been
waiting, where he aludes to the ignorance
and savagery in the bible. He broke
away from his text long enough to say;
There was enacted statute in the state
OF New Jersey a hundred years ago
when most of its inhabitants were saw
ages, which says that nobody shall ever
discuss the bible except on one side
Since then the inhabitants have grown
more civilized. They have grown tc
have knowledge that they have been
so civilized that they can realize its alb.
surdity and that also the statute sleeps
in the dimness of the past. 1t was in
voked by a number of narrow minded
persons who should have died 300 years
| ago.
81 don't blame Them" the speaker con
tinued, "ther heads are that shape anG
they are not to blame"
He said the audience could make VI
their minds Sin secret" about what he
had to say, for he believed "there wa:
no statute against that" That the bible
was inspired he had some doubts, "but,
he added, eff the legislature of Ney Yorl
or New Jersey say the bible is inspired
it is, and that settles it." Colonel In
gersol grew a little more bitter as the
lecture progressed, and declared there
never was kindness in the heart of {
priest and he believed that there were
persons in HOboken who would gladly
bring faggots and build fire arount
two or three of them.
He said that no criminal lawyer in thu
state of New Jersey would allow min
lister to try client of his. 1t was sur
prising, he said further ON, how mucl
these persons knew of God and how lit
tie they knew of human nature.