Middletown transcript., 1918-03-30
A PATRIOTIC night
The Packed Opera House Hears
Fine Addresses And Music
ON THE BURNING WAR THEME

Probably the largest public meeting
of any sort ever held in the Opera
House was the patriotic outpouring of
orr citizens last Tuesday night to hear
the war issues presented by able speak
ers.
by actual count and accurate esti-
mate there We're 1000 people in the
auditorium, galleries, and on the stage.
in the lobby and stairway, and besides,
throngs on the pavement in front OF
the building
1t is high time the people of Middle
town We're thoroughly walked up to the
extreme gravity of our national stu
alton, for too many of them are in the
same somnolent condition that DIR. Ran
doph said the Wilmingtonians had been
and largely yet were. when he describ-
ed them as patriotic corpses whom he
had been for three years trying to dyn-
amits into wakefulness. But thank
God for the few live patriots. especial
ly our ladies, who long have been and
yet are working like Trojans.
The speakers were 1t. JIG. Wick
ham, of the British Army. the youthful
American hero from Philadelphia who
upon the outbreak of the war went to
England, ard after no less than seven
attempts, succeeded in reaching the
front line trenches, and whose blue
stripes attest his two years active SER
vice there, and VINO gave an intensely
narrative of his two years
experience in the horrible war trenches
an address ''as full of meat as an
egg" as Hamlet says, and all delivered
with concise simplicity and modesty
that reminded one of tn. War Memoirs
of the great Grant; the Rev. H. F. Ran
dolph, of Wilmington, and the Rev. F.
H. Moore, of Middletown, both of whom
made stirring addresses upon the burn
ing war theme and after reciting many
of the awful barbarities
and treacheries of the Hun devils,
pleaded with their hearers to awaken
to the great danger and put forth their
efforts, make their greatest
sacrifices with purse, food, self-denials
and in all other ways possible, to help
save their imperilled land.
The speakers were introduced by Mr..
Walter S. I.eatherbury, the live and
Chairman of the Town
Beard, who with fine taste refused to
indulge in the customary vain introduce
tory spIurge that robs the speakers
time, but with few and appropriate
words gave the orators name and pur-
pose.
A fine parade through the town of
about so automobiles draped with red,
white and blue garlands and with the
nation coors; and Troop No. of the
Boy Scouts of America, together with
fine Artillery Band of "a pieces from
Fort Dupont. preceded the meeting at
8 o'cock in the Opera House.
Along the line OF march numbers OF
business houses and private residences
were patrioticrlly decorated, and the
paraders given hearty applause
After the speaking. three gold medals
we're given three members of this
Troop No. Boy Scouts of America, by
Rev. Percy l., Donaghay, Scoutmaster
of the Troop. These medals had been
won by selling Liberty Bonds of the
second issue. The meritOrious Scouts
were Purnal L. McWhorter, Jr., Percy
s. Donaghay and Harry B. Roberts. .
The local committee consisting of
Messrs. Walter S. Leatherbury, chair
ran: w. N. Donovan, Elias M. Shall
cross. James Redgraves and Daniel W.
Steveno, headed the paraded.