The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-02-26
THE EX.PR!EST.
Rev. Mr.. slattcry, Has Large
Crowd to Hear His Talk.
WAS A LITTLE DISTURBANCE
Which the Speaker Turned to Ills Own
Advantnge-A Rather Inofiensive Dis
course on the Catholic Isellgion-Ivhy
lie LIEF, 1t and What He. Saw In IL WINS
HI. Theme, but lie Made No Sensational
Disclosures.

The audience which attended the lee
ture OF Ex-PFiest slatteEy mt Egerter's
hall last night filled the room. The
theme was announced "Why l left the
Catholic Church and What saw In It"
He did not make any very startling
statements. He is man OF rather fine
presence, OF good delivery, with enough
Irish brogue to be attractive. He said
he thought only three things could JUS
tify a man In leaving one religion Tor
another-to learn more about God, TO
learn more OF his revealed truth and TO
secure more freedom Of conscience. He
left the Roman church when he con-
cluded that he learned In 1t more about
the Pope than about God.
He gave brief account OF his career
In the church. When he left. he said,
he was on the verge OF inhdelity, but he
met Captain Thompson, OF the British
army, who quoted to him a text which
he believed saved his soul: Believe on
the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be
saved"
He apologIzed for bringing his audi
ence up four flights OF stairs, and said 1t
wHs not his fault. His agent was re-
Iuhtu lIlG OpS4h 4AOubt h4AN stS
J. o. o. +. hall. But for the
backbone OF one woman. Mrs. EGerter,
he would have had to leave Wheeling
without giving his lectures. Then he
gave Wheeling Protestants n warm
roast for letting such things be. He
added:
The Daily News. OF your city, refused
to print my advertisement, though we
offered them the cash Just as we would
for any commodity. The managing
elItor-or the business manager, per-
haps, whom my agent met-said he did
not refuse from principle. but from
policy. He said at the time that he
was q Baptist. yet he is controlled by
the Pope OF Rome I am an ordained
Baptist minister. wish had the Inn
mersion OF that man: would give him
the second dip. and make II long. The
Register printed our advertisement two
days, and then the voice OF Rome was
heard in their office. and they refused
our money for the third insertion. The
only newspaper in your city that has
the courage to call its soul Its own Is
the IntellIgencer. ! understand that Is
its reputation. am glad you have one
such paper.
A man in the audience interrupted.
and there were cries OF put him out
and the like. Finally he started to go
out, but went back and sat down. AZ
ter that the speaker had fun at his eS-
pense every few minutes.
He said he had established at his own
expense in Cliftondale. Mass, home
for those who desired 10 leave the Cath
ollie church, and any ex-priest or ex-
nun would there be safe and welcome II
they desired TO leave the church
The only thing he said which could
reasonably give ofIense was his uncall-
ed for slur upon the Irish people. This
was caused by interruption. but II was
In bad taste. He said American Prot
estants were 80 sound asleep that their
snores were heard across the ocean.
In two years under Rome rule, mis-
named Home rule" the Irish would all
kill one another. He roasted" Harri-
son for sending a revenue cutter TO meet
Satolli. aud Cleveland for sending a
copy OF the United States constitution
to the Pope. The latter act, he said,
was ''only kidding" The most disap-
pointing thing about his lecture, to
most OF his auditors, was Its lack OF
sensationallsm.