Historical souvenir of Greenville, Illinois : being a ... - University Library

130 Historical Souvenir of Greenville, Illinois.
J. H. MULFORD,
A member of the firm of Mulford and Monroe,
druggists.
The second press was taken from
Alexander Bodkin's warehouse,
where it was deposited, and thrown
into the river as soon as it came, a
few months later. After the destruction
of the second press, the
people began to take sides, the
great majority against Love joy;
the minority to defend him and his
rights. He was still determined to
publish his paper and sent on and
got his third press. It was generally
understood that the mob would destroy
his third press, with threats
of violence against Lovejoy. Frequently
public meetings were held
denouncing Lovejoy, while the
more conservative were inclined to
dissuade him from publishing his
paper.
The third press was purposely
landed late at night. After its
landing the excitement became intense.
The only topic of conversation
was Lovejoy's press. Everyone
knew that it was coming and
understood that a mob was being
orgarized to destroy it as soon as
It was landed. A small proportion
were in favor of protecting the
press, while, as far as I could see.
though I was only eighteen years
old, there was an element in favor
of destroying It at all hazards, even
if it took his life. This was common
talk on the street. While this element
was composed largely of the
rougher class of people, I could give
the names of ministers of the gospel
who were encouraging the destruction
of the press, when by a
few words, these same iniluential
men could have settled the matter
in Lovejoy's favor.
"On the eve the press was to be
landed, each side began to make
their preparations. On the evening
previous to the arrival of the press
there was a consultation held in
the Mansion House. There were
present Lovejoy. Mayor John M.
Krum, A. B. Roff. Royal Weller,
Winthrop S. Gillman, my father,
William Harned, and others. The
question discussed was what was
best to be done and how best to
proceed. While my recollection of
Lovejoy is that he was a mild man,
he and others were in favor of defending
the press at all hazards.
My recollection is that at that
meeting Mayor Krum had agreed to
furnish what assistance was necessary
in defending the press and the
meeting adjourned with that understanding.
A few days previous a
company had been organized under
military law, with my father as
captain, and had placed themselves
at the disposal of the mayor and
Lovejoy.
"The next day after the landing
of the press, the mob began to collect
their forces. The next night
the mob gathered early in the
evening and began to fill up with
whiskey. By 9 o'clock p. m., the
crowd numbered about 30 0. Cap-
J. L. Monroe,
A member of the firm of Mulford and
druggists.
Monroe,
tain Harned, Lovejoy and his
friends were inside the warehouse
of Godfrey and Gillman, in which
the press was stored. The building
was four stories on the wharf side
and three on Second street. I
stood watching the crowd, and my
recollection of the first demonstration
of violence is that the mob
threw rocks and broke every
window glass in that end of the
building. Several shots were also
fired into the building. With rocks
and sledge hammers they broke the
doors open but they were braced
on the inside by hogsheads of
sugar. The contending forces got
near enough to talk to each other
and those within warned the mob
that if they attempted to come in,
they would shoot them.
"Governor Reynolds, a strong
pro-slavery man. who has written a
history on the subject says that
what infuriated the mob was that a
man raised a window up-stairs and
fired a shot, killing one of the mob.
Governor Reynolds is mistaken here,
for I. as an eve-witness, know that
at that time there was not a glass
nor a piece of window sash left in
the whole side of the building. My
father went to the window and
asked those in the crowd, who were
not taking part in the mob to get
out of the way, as the struggle was
setting so bitter, something had to
be done. A man by the name of
Bishop fired at my father, the bullet