filled one in the morning, another in the afternoon, and then came to the Spring Street Church in the evening.  The house was filled as usual.  He opened the services in the regular order, took his text and began the delivery of his sermon.  Immediately a crowd of strange men began to press in at the door and push along up the center aisle.  At a given signal, a rush was made towards the Pulpit.  Comprehending the situation in an instant, the Pastor, from his position in the Pulpit, ordered them back, and at the same time directed the men nearest the aisle and altar to intercept their advance.  A stone was hurled at the Pastor’s head, but it missed its mark and crashed against the wall in the rear of the Pulpit.  But L.S.  Kellogg, L.L.  Lee and others stood firmly in the aisle and dealt some vigorous blows in response to the clubs and other missiles with which they were being severely bruised.  At this moment Dr. Waldo W. Lake, who was sitting in the altar, drew a revolver which he on leaving home had put in his pocket, expecting after service to visit a patient in an exposed part of the city, and instantly the rioters fell back and retreated through the entrance to the street.  During the conflict the audience room was a wild scene of confusion.  The ladies became greatly alarmed, and required the attention of a large number of gentlemen in making their escape from the building.  The door being thronged with the rioters, the principal egress was found to be the windows next to the street, and these were elevated a full story above the pavement.  Ladders, wagons, and other impromptu scaffolding were provided, and large numbers of ladies were rescued in this way, while others were crowded against the sides of the room until the rioters had withdrawn.  After quiet had been restored measures were taken to convey the speaker safely to his lodgings at the hotel.  But a good number of revolvers, carried by a posse of earnest men, were a sufficient protection against all evil-minded persons that thronged the streets on the way.”

The city was rocked with excitement.  Early next morning a meeting was held in the Church edifice that had thus been made the scene of a riotous assault.  The populace interpreted the affair rightly.  It was not so much an attack upon a Protestant Church as an assault against the freedom of speech, one of the most sacred rights of the people.  After expressing suitable indignation against the actors and abettors of the riot, and resolving to protect the freedom of speech so long as it should not offend against public morals, the meeting appointed a committee to wait on Mr. Leahy, and, on behalf of the community, guarantee him protection in his rights.  Under this protection a lecture was given in the Free Congregational Church, and another on the public square, when, all danger of assault having disappeared, he was permitted to go on his way.