Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1913-09-06
an, editorial appearing in that paper:

dIl euiLOi loi appearing IA S' f~T
a "The upper part of the first page OF
| the issue of July 5th is occupied by
head extending entirely across tie
page concerning an :attack on Jere
| miah j. Crowley, at Olewein, Iowa. i
seems that Mr.. Crowley is creme
gade" Catholic priest. We say irene
gade" because while any man has the
right to change his religious faith and
church membership, the man VINO
does so and proceeds to make a liv-
ing by abusing and slandering his
former associates, deserves that COM
prehensive description. "The Men
ace" tells us that the Suffrage IS
branded as a strike at liberty, free
speech and the .vitals of our' govern
ment." 1t conveys the further inter-
csting information that "never since
the revolutionary war of ITS have
any people been so thoroughly arouss
ed as are the citizens of the State. of
Iowa, over the attempt to assassinate
the Rev. J. J. Crowly, by Roman
Catholic mobs in Olcwcin, Iowa." Sift-
ing down the facts, we find that Ole
vein is town of 5000 people and
that Mr.. Crowley lectured there June
II. After he left the lecture hall two
or three men hustled him and some
body belted him over the head once.
It does not appear that he even was
knocked down. Two men were ar
rested and were released on their own
recogniance. Nine citizens of Ore
vein, including three Protestant
pastors, two editors and four bust
ness men, expressed publicly the opin-
ion that the attack was shameful
affair. One of the pastors is quite
enthusiastic. He seems to have the
idea that the betting, or humping,
was instigated directly by the Pope;
and "The Menace" concerning the
incident, wants to know whether the
death knell of our liberty has been
sounded already, answering its own
question with the somewhat broad
assertion that "from Americans in
every city, town, hamlet and hillside
in this country, the answer comes
No! No, Not while we have Il drop
Of blood left in our bodics!!'
"The Menace" further informs its
readers that the Catholics of O:ewcin
have one thousand rifles stored in
the basement of their church, ready
to assassinate their Protestant neigh
bors and make Olcwein another st.
Bartholomew. We wonder if any
body really does believe such stuff as
that.
"rhc lower half of the same page is
occupied with fearful description of
an attempt by ''infuriated Roman
Catholics" to destroy the Rev. Wal
lace 'Tharp, who spoke on Martin
Luther in a Pittsburg hall In this
case the tragedy consisted Of some
jeering and of the hitting of police
officer who was dispensing a GROVE
ON the outside of hall. The average
reader must be impressed with the
fact that while one Of these Incidents
occurred on June y and the othcl
June II nobody outside of the immen
iste localities has heard Of them
and the American people as Il whole
have declined to be agitated or thrill
cd Possibly the Pope chokcd off the
telegraph wires and prevented the
news of these horrors from reaching
the country.
an it's issue of August lG,h, "rhe
Menace" seems TO have run out Of
riot material ard massacre suggca-
lions, but it fills in very well with a
displayed story of nun who fed
from convent to Silvciton, Oregon.
This interesting female narratcs that
six months before she had escaped
from convent vaguely described as
ain the East but was kidnapped on
the streets of Portland and confined.
at Mt. Angel. She is convinced, she
tells mortified pastor, that if caught
agair. she will be murdered, rs she
knows of several other escaping nuns
who have been murdered, names,
dates places and murderers net Civ
Oh. When she escaped formerly and
took refuge with her parents and
other relatives "in the East" their
houses we're burned down over them
heads" Places and dates and names
omitted, presumably for prudential
reasons. The rest of the alleged story
of the allcgcG escaped nun is un-
fit for publication, and should not be
allowed to pass through the mails.
The gist of it is thst in every con
vent scores of infants of priests and