The San Francisco call., 1896-04-20
DREW A PISTOL
IN A CHURCH.
An Oakland Congregation
Stampeded by a
Crank.
THREATENED TO SHOOT.
The Weapon Knocked From His
Hand Midst Great Ex.
citement.
COLONEL IRISH TO THE RESCUE
Members of the Congregation Struggle
With the Stranger and Fin.
ally Overpower Him.
COLONEL IRISH TO THE RESCUE
OAKLAND OFFICE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, [
ID 4.


908 Broadway, April 19.
A Iunatic with gun cleared out nearly
all the worshipers in the First Unitarian
Church this morning. For several min
utes there were intense excitement and
hurried rush to the doors, but when Col
onel Irish and Judge Yule were seen lead
ing wilk- looking man out the congrega-
ton was induced to return and the service
was concluded.
The mad man, who afterward gave the
name of Lewis Porter, went into the
church as soon as service commenced and
took seat alongside the aisle, about half
way toward the altar. His nervous man.
ner and peculiar actions engaged the at
tention of several members of the congre-
CATION from the first.
He kept looking behind him and side
ways, and many times rose partly from his
seat and sat down again. His eyes be-
trayed intense emotion and his lips worked
as though he was in fit. Those who sat
near him did not appreciate their neigh
Dor, but they decided to tolerate him
rather than to move to more agreeable
seat.
The opening exercises passed without
anything of note occurring and the first
hymn was sung. Professor Craig of STAN
ford and DIR. Wendte, the pastor, ex-
changed pulpits this morning and the pro-
fessor read an extract that was to form
the basis OF sermon. Every word seemed
to sting the stranger and his lips and eyes
worked and trembled more nervously
than ever. Only few noticed it, however,
and the great mass of the congregation
were totally unprepared for the scene that
followed.
After Professor Craig had finished read
ing he gave out the second hymn and it
was sung by the choir and congregation.
A lady offered the visitor hymn-book, but
he merely took it and placed it in the pew
pocket and the look of disgust with which
it was received made the lady wish she
had been less thoughtful and generous.
At the conclusion of the hymn the stran-
ger arose from his seat and walked down
the aisle till he reached the altar. AS he
walked down he said in loud voice:
'sThis thing is all farce. It's hum
bug. Now I want TO have my say ami it
won't be we'll for anybody to attempt to
stop me-"
The congregation was thunderstruck
with astonishment. Such scene in an
orderly and fashionable church had
never been dreamed of. even by the widest
penny dreadful romancers
People caught their breath and held it,
half in awe at the wonderful daring of this
stranger. He paused only an instant and
then went on with his harangue.
"This is all fraud and sham," he re-
peated, land don't mean to stand it any
longer. You can't prove by Professor LIE
descended from the lower animals"
He waved his hands and spoke excitedly
and swiftly. It takes long to tell it, but
it happened all in much less than full
minute. AS he spoke he advanced toward
the pulpit. By the time he had concluded
his wildly uttered statements about the
origin of man end the lower animals his
feet had carried him, seemingly automatic
ally, alongside of where Colonel John P.
Irish sat. On the opposite side of the
aisle was Judge Yule.
"Men are not animals!' shouted the
maniac. and at the same instant both
Colonel Irish and Judge Yule rose and
stepped in front of him.
Then the remarkably dramatic incident
reached its denouement.
To the utter horror and amazement of
the congregation and preacher the mad
stranger now calmly put his hand in his
pocket and drew out loaded revolver.
With this movement Irish and Yule
sprang forward. The madman never
raised his pistol arm until he reached the
City Prison.
Irish acted instinctively and instantly,
and in space Of time too small to calcu-
late he had struck the madman's arm a
terrific blow and the pistol lay on the floor.
Judge Yule was almost as quick, and in
less than second the beliigerent stranger
was being forced rapidly down the aisle
toward the outer door, securely pinioned
by Irish, Yule and s. P. Hall.
AS soon as Porter reached his pistol
pocket the rush commenced. The men,
bers who had watched the man from the
beginning of the service led the stampede
and the whole church was plunged into
confusion. Several minutes elapsed be-
fore order was restored after the madman
had been handed over 10 the police.
After the service Colonel Irish, Judge
Yule and Mr.. Hall were congratulated on
all sides. Professor Craig preached an
eloquent discourse, but nobody could tell
what it was about this afternoon, and the
all that will live of this mornings service.
At the City Prison it was made very evil
dent that Porter was religious fanatic
whose brain is deranged. He said ne was
displeased with the service and that the
teachings Of Starr-King and the Unitarian
church were cursing the age and that
those who would not listen to the truth as
would he tell it deserved to be shot.
Porter does not appear to be so much of
lunatlc as an abnormal fanatic. He is
not violent at all and calmly submitted to
be led out of the church. He converses
nationally on subjects other than religion,
and says he would not have attempted to
kill anybody unless they tried to stop him
from proclaiming the truth. He says that
Colonel Irish was altogether too smart,
and limited that the church was no place
for men of his activity.
Nobody knows who Porter is and no one
ever saw him before. He is charged with
disturbing a religious meeting and with
carrying concealed weapons, but it is prac-
tically certain that his future residence
will be Agnews.