The menace. [volume] (Aurora, Mo.) 1911-1920, 1914-02-14

Of the Methodist church in Dear.
born, Mich, a suburb Of Detroit.
Not 20 very long ago. notwith-
standing the fact that the Roman
lists prcdominate in Dearborn, Rev.
Coitam announced that he would
deliver a sermon on '"Why l Am a
Protestant in his church.
The date set for this sermon was
Sunday, Jan. 25th. and Free
masons from ncighboring towns ar
ranged TO attend the service. Post
tiers announcing the sermon were
put up here and there about the little
town but were promptly torn down
by Romaaists and destroyed.
Friday morning, before the ser
mon on Sunday evening. Rev. Cot
tam, among many other threaten
ing letters, received a letter warning
him not 90 deliver the sermon aud
concluding with the threatening
question, Are We 10 expect relig-
ious rar such as they had in me
middle dgCsg'
But Rev. Cottam was not to be
blufTcd, and he proceeded to fill his
engagement as announced, and late
Sunday afternoon Of the sermon
things began TO happen.
CHURCH CROWDED.
The church was crowded Sunday
evening at 2 o'clock when the serv-
ices began. The pastors wife left
the house at $50 p. m. and entered
the church 10 feet away. The pas
tor went into the house at 6:50 y.
m. and left the rear door open.
-Four members were placed around
the church 10 give warning OF pos
sible rowdyism to interrupt the lee
turc, and the service began.
A yell of fire rent the air. The
congregation was in an uproar.
Lawrence Edmunds, who gave the
alarm, broke open the front door,
and pulled out a rug, smouldering
on the threshold. As he was about
to re-enter the house an explosion
occurred inside, and nearly every
portion OF the house was ablaze ST.
multaneously.
One man ran to the rear door to
rescue some jewelry, and was driven
back by the pungent fumes Of gaso-
line. An attempt TO switch on the
lights failed, and it was learned that
the wires were cut. Somebody
pulled on the bell rope to summon
the frs department, and the rope
fell TO the floor. II had been cut
near the top. Inside the church
a stampede was prevented by the or
ganist and the pastor and singers
who shouted, played and sang
and restrained the crowd from rush
ing pellmell through the doors with
possible loss of life and injury to
many.
BUCKET BRIGADE.
The town fire department came
on the run and dragged the hand
pump TO q standstill in front Of the
residence, which now was blazing
fiercely, and a bucket brigade was
formed. The water seemed to add
intensity to the flames, and the fire
licked up the grass and leaped along
the sod around the house. The odor
Of gasoline and the flames licking
the sod leads to the belief that the
fluid was sprinkled generously
through the house and around the
doors and windows.
1t required less than Is minutes
to reduce the two-story frame
dwelling to its brick foundation.
Rev. Cottam estimates the loss at
$4,000. a library valued at 81 900
was totally destroyed.
RoMANIsTs TO BLAME.
The daily press which, of course,
is afraid to print any intimation as
to where the blame rests, is trying
to keep down excitement by saving
that the pastors residence must have
been fired BY some irresponsible ere
ligious" crank, but the Protestant
people OF Dearborn, hardly without
an exception, are convinced that
Roman Catholic bigots did the work.
1t is stated on reliable authority
that Romanists had made open
threats about town that the pastor
would never be able to deliver the
sermon. and that if he did deliver it
he would he sorry for il, ett.. etc.
and no one of intelligence doubts