Disgraceful Riot - 1835

Disgraceful Riot

Anti Masonic Telegraph,  March 25, 1835

In consequence of public notice, a meeting of the New York Protestant Association would be held for the purpose of debating the question--"Is Popery compatible with civil liberty."  A very large and respectable assemblage of ladies and gentlemen attended on Friday evening at Broadway Hall. After the meeting was organized, the Rev. Mr. Finley rose for the purpose of delivering an introductory prayer, and while so engaged, a gang of ruffians, amounting to between one and two hundred, burst open the door, and commenced a most violent and indiscriminate attack upon the audience. The Rev. Mr. Brownlee and several other clergymen in vain attempted, by remonstrance, to quell the outrage. The infuriated ruffians assaulted the reverend gentleman, who were at length compelled to flee for the safety of their lives. The work of destruction then commenced; the mob tore up the benches and entirely destroyed the furniture of the room by splitting it into a thousand fragments.  having driven out the congregation, and perpetuated all the mischief that lay in their power the rioters left the scene of mischief unmolested.  The aggressors are said to have been a portion of our Irish Roman Catholic population--Cour. & Eng.