Rensselaer Republican, Volume 27, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 March 1895 — RELIGIOUS RIOTERS. [ARTICLE]

RELIGIOUS RIOTERS.

Serious Trouble at Savannah Georgia. F«n -Militia Companies Necessary to Save Priest Slattery's LifeAt Savannah, Ga., Tuesday night, a Catholic mob estimated at 4,000 people besieged Masonic Temple in an attempt to kill ex-Priest Slattery. For three days it had been apparent that trouble wasbrewing. The' city had been liberally placarded with notices that yue-Priest Slattery and his wife, described as an ex-nun,-would lecture on Catholicism, Members of the Ancient. Order, of Hibernians at once took steps to prevent their appearanec. .Petitions were circulated, asking MayorTSoyers to refuse to per-' mit the to hold his lecture. The mayor refused to interfere and gave notice that he would proservo the peaee at any cost. He accordingly had all police and all available military in readiness for the mob. mob gathered about the hall as expected. By 7 o’clock several hundred had collected. When Slattery arrived the mob had assumed proportions large enough trfcopF wTtrXlTeponce.’ Bjr 8 o’clock over 1,5C0 rioters surrounded Masonic Hall. In the hall was an audience of about 400. The lecturer had hardly begun before brickbats and cobblestones began to rain on the windows. The police had closed all the heavy inside shutters, thus saving the audience from injury, on 1 y two or threp being injtired by flying glass. Thejnob made rushes to secure an entrance, but was driven back by. the police. Before 9 o'clock the mub had grbwn to probably between 3,003 and 4,000 people. Window after window in the Masonic temple was broken. Cries of •‘Kill him.” “Down with Slattery,” “Death to the renegade’’ were heard. It was evident there would be loss of life tmless^.Slattery,iv.as._s.al4ily .esiiiirtccl . from the hall before the audience dispersed. Accordingly four corppatlies of militia were formed about the entrance and the ex-priest was surrounded and marched to the hotel, followed by the moi), and the audience then dispcrsixl in safety. Slat tery and his wife were securely guarded all night! Several policemen were severely injured and Slattery’s manager was knocked senscljss with a sar.dbag.