The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1909-11-15
THREATEN RIOT
in MAGIC CITY
Political Meetings Almost
Cause Outbreak.
POLICE PREVENT TROUBLE
Rival Overflow Crowds Display
Much Hostility.
Eugene Ballard, Author Of Ansndment
BiiL, Cannot Gain Audience,
While woman Temperance
Workers, speech Almost
Precipitatss Fight.
5


y s - .
Birmingham today passed a strange
lence and turbulence, with two rival
political meetings at two theatres sep
arated by a narrow street on which
the overflow crowd from the two meet
ings met and threatened riot.
When Ii was all over the policemen
who had stopped "a dozen incipient
| fights and who had maintained order
under trying circumstances mopped
their brows and decided that riot had
been avoided as much by good luck
as by anything else.
The Hippodrome Theatre meeting was
i as orderly as anybody could wish. al
| though the house detective had to eject
an amendment man who sat on the gal
iery railing and interrupted the speak
err.
And the meeting at the Bijou Thea
/ tire. addressed by Rev. George Stuart,
the evangelist, was equally as orderly.
| The strife occurred In the narrow
street which separated the two thea
| tres.
| The Hippodrome was packed and
damned. and when the ladies from q
| special meeting at church came TO
the Bijou, that also was jammed with
humanity, The overflow crowds, diff
fering In sentiment during an excit-
ing campaign. met between the two
| theatres.
Almost Causes Riot.
/ Some OF the amendments leaders de-
cided II was a happy thought to have
one of their speakers address the over
| fiow crowd. which seemed to have more
anti-amendment than amendment men
in II. Representative Eugene Ballard
of Autauga. who introduced the amend
ment bill In the Legislature. was
brought forward on the steps Of the
Btjou to address probably 500 persona
i ASSEMBLED IN. the streRt. ~
Mt. Ballard began by saying: II
! can not speak against the great speek-
ers on the other side. but then the
1 crowd broke in on him. yelling, Right
you are. old man." that's the truth"
Get the hook I"
But Mr.. Ballard refused to be pub
down at the first show OF strength OF
| the opposition. He continued amid
persistent Interruptions, saying that
the amendment was a child OF his and
that he was proud of II. SO noisy did
. part Of the crowd become that Mr..
| Billiards. voice failed to carry beyond
the front ranks. And then he grace
fully retired.
Mrs. Mary Harris Armour. OF Geor-
| gta. backed by score of members OF
the w. c. T. u. took his place on the
steps. The crowd seemed no more IN
clined TO hear her than 1t did him
Amid the noise and excitement she
raised her hands above her head with
| fingers clenched and said: IT am
woman. hear me for my cause"
| The crowd yelled. "Aii right. Carrie,
get your hatchet," "Who's at home
washing the dishes7"
She Ignores Intexruptions.
| But MRS: Armour refused to- be put
| down easily. She ignored the inter
| ruptions as far as she could ana con-
tinued to speak She advanced reasons
why she was for prohibition, while the
crowd cat-called. Kissed and called for
''the hook" Finally some athletic
wearer Of white ribbon shook his INST
at man in the crowd. saying. ANY
man who would interrupt lady is a
scoundrel. ! mean you"
who. me?"1 said the fellow in the
| crowd. you come down here"
| With that the two rushed for each
other. but the police got between them
as they, were about to come together.
A half dozen incipient fights started
| but the police aided by peaceful and
well disposed bystanders finally quiet
| ed the disturbance and Mrs. Armour
stopped trying to speak.
| In the Hippodrome the crowd which
| numbered 1850. and from which many
stirring speeches from sydney J. Bowie
John w. Tomilson. L. p Greer. James
| Weatherly and P. G.. Bowman. Mr..
| Tomlinson spoke briefly but amid great
| enthusiasm. Mr.. Bowie, said that he
| was opposed to speaking on political
subjects on Sunday but since Judge
Weakley had boosted that they were
| going to beat the ahti-amendment
| crowd because the amendment crowd
Az In he
had decided that he had as much right
to participate in Sunday political
meeting as anybody else.
But want to tell Judge Weakley
that IL he had seven times. seventy
seven days and we had only one. that
his amendment Is going to be showed
under November 90"
Describes Bell Affair.
Mr.. Bowie told the crowd of the
search of the Bell home in Bessemer
on the receipt OF an anymous letter ana
this he termed IAN infamous outrage"
He pointed out that the amendment
crowd depended on an anonymous let
ter, for the Bell home had been
searched on the strength OF one and
charge had been made by The Bir-
mingham News that a big sum of
money was being spent In Alabama
against the amendment on the strength
of an anonymous letter from st. Louis.
James Weatheriy delivered a witty
and stirring speech. which the crowd
appreciated highly. Looking at the as
sembled audience he said: IT am TO-
ing TO tell you how bad you are. You
can't know how bad you really are
until you compare yourselves with the
high and moral citizenship across the
street led by Henry B. Gray" But
he got no further. The crowd laugh
ed and cheered wildly for some reas-
on. at this comparison.
Farmer Orator Speaks.
L. F, Greer. the farmer orator from
Calhoun delivered an enthusiastic ten
minute talk, in which he told his
hearers that the North Alabama coun-
ties In which he had been would roll
up a big majority for the defenders.
j. G. Robinson. of ST. Clair county. told
the audience that the "Hlil BiliieS Of
st. Clair were going to snow the
amendment under by 500 majority