Evening journal., 1914-01-13
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
A EighIy-PFized Relic Of
AbOl.tiOniSt Days
By Holland.

Recently / spent an heur or two in
the library OF Robert Potter, whose
home is IN one of the suburbs of New
York and who gIatiiies a taste for liter
ature and art, having abundant time
and means for the cultivation of tneso
pleasures. Mr.. Potter is retired busi-
ness man who in his younger days was
very acticve both as a merchant and a
banker in New England.
While looking around the library /
saw nm ugly-looking weapon which was
hung in a conspicuous place upon the
wall / said; This looks TO me like
q slungshot. 1t has all the character
istics of that deadly weapon
II was in fact. a weapon of attack or
defense. There was a lump of lead in
one end and flexible leather handle ex-
tended from this end to a sort of brace
let. by which the weapon could be at
tached to the wrist.
II seemed such a peculiar and out of
place thing to display upon the walls
of e library that ] ventured to ask
Mr.. Potter if there was not some tradi-
tion or association which gave II Incl
dental value.
Yes he replied. that little weapon
y
highly. viii tell YOU about it.
Theodore Parker-who in his day
was one of the most famous of Ameri-
can clergymcn-used TO preach every
Sunday in the great music hall in Bos-
ton. He was man after Wendell
Phillips own heart, at least so far as
some of the great NOR ! questions that
prevailed in the years prior to the ClNll
War were concerned.
after Theodog Parker's death.
think about 1865, It was proposed that
Wendell Phillips should be invited to
sneak, from the Music Hall platform
every Sunday morning or evening.
AT that time there was very
ugly feeling in Boston, Of which Phil
ips and others like William Lloyd Carl
rison were the cause. In fact this bit
terness became 50 indicative and Nio.
lent that Phillips life was threatened
and he received word that If he went u
the Music Holl and talked and preached
as an abolitionist he would be mobbed.
"There was a company of young men
in Boston, who were war; admirers OF
Ah. Phillips, and who also believed ~
free speech. They organized themselves
into a vigilance committee. l was one
of the number.
"We went TO Mr.. Phillips house II
Essex street and asked him 1t, ~
view of the personal danger h'
was really TO appear upon that plat
form. ! never shall forget Mr.. Phillips
appearance as he replied to us. We saw
a magnificent display of moral and physi
cal courage. lie ssid that he woulC
walk ont of his front door TO Must
Hall alone and unattended. even though
he was sure his body would be brought
back
I'VE told him that we would escor
him to the hall every Sunday morning o.
evening. We provided ourselves Will
weapons, of which the shmgshot whicl
you now see was one. In fact, almos
all the members of the vigilance com
mittee carried slungshot OF that kind
! IL was well we did. A dangerous mol
faced MIR. Phillips two or three times
/ That mob would surely have trampe'
him to death ii the leaders had no
seen us surrounding Mr.. Philips an
/ occasionally got a glimpse OF the smus
! SHOTS which were attached 10 "n
wrists. Some of the mob leaders pro
fessed their admiration for the c'Huag
/ which Mr.. Phillips showed whrn h
stood without the slightest trendatir
on that platform, preaching az an abel
itionist would preach altho ign he "
have known that a pistol shot woul
have laid him low.
"It was his courage and -he pros crc
OF his friends. which at last subduei tn
mob. and the final sermons delivered b,
| Mr. Philips were free from any cause o
] apprehension. Do you wOnier that l ar
I fond Of exposing this sldngs1ot upon tb
walls of my library
Copyright, 1914, by ]. J. Edwards. al
rights re,ergedl.
Tomorrow Mr.. Edwards will tell "lle'
the Texas State House at Austin Wa
| Built"