1883-11-21uu

Purchasers of the Hamilton Times on Monday November 20, 1883 found a brief and tantalizing item, a “special to the TIMES” item concerning an event which had taken place in Dundas the previous evening:

“DUNDAS, Nov. 20 – Much Excitement prevails in this town in consequence of the arrest of Mr. Mason, a very respectable and highly esteemed tradesman, and a Mr. Townshend from Hamilton, the principal persons in getting up an assemblage on Sunday evening of what are known as ‘Cecilites.’

“The meeting took place on the corner of King street, near the knitting factory. Chief of Police Fitzgerald happened to come along and ordered the parties to leave, which they declined to do. To the surprise of most people, Messrs. Mason and Townsend have since been summoned to appear before the Mayor and they will accordingly do so at 5 p.m.

“The feeling against the arrest is very strong, and particularly among religious people.”¹

¹ “Street Preachers : Excitement Over the Arrest of Leaders on Sunday”

Hamilton Times.   November  20, 1883.

The day after the arrested men were summoned to appear before Dundas Mayor Wardell in the Town Hall, there was extensive coverage of the matter in both the Spectator and the Times. Both papers sent reporters to the Valley Town to observe and detail what happened.

From the Hamilton Spectator of November 21, 1883:

“It appears that on Sunday evening the defendants, who are both Cecilities, were preaching publicly on the streets, and as a consequence, a crowd gathered round them, who, according to Chief Fitzgerald, acted in a very disorderly manner.

“The chief constable told the ministers to move on, with the option of being arrested. As they did not move or stop preaching, Fitzgerald arrested them and took them to the city hall, where they remained until released on their own recognizance to appear before him yesterday afternoon for trial.

“When a Spectator reporter arrived there yesterday afternoon, the judgment hall was filled with a crowd whose eager faces would lead one to suppose that there had not been an arrest made in Dundas for the past twelve months.”²

² “Dundas is Disturbed : By the Arrest of Two Street Preachers : Who Interfered With Chief of Police Fitzgerald When He Broke Up a Meeting for Evangelizing the Town.”

Hamilton Spectator.    November 21, 1883.

When proceedings began, Dundas Mayor Wardell occupied the bench, with Police Chief Fitzgerald, the complainant in the case, standing at his side.

It did not take long for the proceedings to become heated. Chief Fitzgerald charged Mason and Townsend with “unlawfully collecting idlers and shouting upon the streets of Dundas, thereby obstructing the traffic:’

“When the mayor asked them if they were guilty or not, Mr. Townsend spoke up and said there was no obstruction until Fitzgerald interfered. Mr. Mason, who was not as calm and collected as his brother in misfortune, began to compare the law of the present day with that of 1900 years ago, but the mayor, afraid of the infliction that was seemingly coming, cut him short, and asked him if he was guilty or not.

“Mason : ‘If they call me guilty, I shall have to bear it.’

“Mayor : ‘Well, you are not guilty.’

“Mason : ‘No sir, but the Bible –

“Mayor : ‘I don’t want to hear you talk. You have been warned that this thing could not be permitted in Dundas; that it draws a crowd who use all kinds of abominable language and blasphemies, and peaceable persons passing were shocked; and all this is occasioned by persons like you preaching on the streets. It is not the preaching I object to; it is the unusual noise which always attends it, and as long as I have any power I am going to put a stop to it. (Voice – ‘Can’t Do it.’) I don’t care what the consequences are, I am going to take the bull by the horns, and crush this sort of thing.’

“At this juncture, the small boys who were unable to get into the building, amused themselves by throwing stones up at the windows.

“Mayor (proceeding) : ‘If the defendants will promise not to let this occur again, and stop preaching on the street, I am quite willing to let the matter drop.’

“Mason : ‘I don’t know what my brother here will do about it, but I refuse to promise. I can’t help but speak the things which I know and believe-‘

“Here Mr. Mason made another attempt to introduce his sermon, but was unsuccessful, as the Mayor interrupted him by stating that he did not care what he thought; he wanted to know if they were going to repeat it. Both of them refused to promise, and the Mayor said he would proceed with the trial. ‘I have a duty to perform, and I shall perform it, and I don’t care for anyone.

“Another voice : ‘Arrest the blackguard.’

“Fitzgerald : ‘Some of you will go down to the cells in a minute’ (General laughter.)”²

Chief Fitzgerald testified that Dundas was once a quiet place on Sundays until these open-air meetings disturbed the peace. The chief claimed that Mason was always shouting in a very excited manner, prompting the chief to consider him to be crazy.

For the defense, Austin Crowley disputed the chief’s claim and said that the noise and general disturbances did not begin until the chief interfered and arrested Mr. Mason.

Mayor Wardell had heard enough and decided to conclude proceedings by telling the defendants that he would not convict them of anything, but would give them two weeks during which they would be watched, if they repeated any street preaching, they would be arrested and dealt with severely.

The Hamilton Times carried two stories about the Street Preaching hearing in the Dundas Town Hall. In one, the basic details of what went on were very much the same as the Spectator except for the following which the Times chose to include:

“The Mayor asked why they could not occupy some building for their services.

“Mr. Mason : ‘There are lots of churches, I know, but we consider that we can better reach a class who will not enter a building for worship but working as we do. No objection is offered to such as us elsewhere; we are behind the age in Dundas. They don’t stop it in Hamilton or Toronto.’

“Mayor Wardell : ‘It is none of my business what the authorities in other towns do. I am determined to preserve the peace of the town of Dundas.’

“There were some unseemly interruptions among the crowd of spectators, who for the most part appeared to sympathize with the defendants. The Mayor ordered Chief Fitzgerald to keep order or clear out the offenders.”³

     ³ “A Dundas Sensation : Mayor Wardell Prohibits Street Preaching in the Town : Defense By the Itinerants : The Accused Found Guilty and Given Two Weeks to Capitulate.”

Hamilton Times. November 21, 1883.

In the same issue of the Times, another article appeared about the Street Preaching matter in Dundas. Noting that it was “From our own Correspondent” the article was both an analysis of the issues involved and a quite humorous commentary on the Dundas Mayor and Chief of Police :

“The great agony is over; that is, matters have been left pretty much as they were respecting street preaching. Great things were expected as soon as it became known that the Mayor had set apart an evening for the purpose of investigating the charge made against Messrs. Mason and Townsend by Chief of Police Fitzgerald. That worth grew into importance, and on the streets became the cynosure of all eyes. Newspaper men buttonholed him, while indignant citizens hurriedly remarked, ‘You have made a mistake;’ while still others were good enough to intimate that they did not blame him as he was acting under orders. ‘No,’ said the Chief, ‘nor would you blame the Mayor either, if you knew all the circumstances.’

“Evening found the Town Hall filled, and His Worship probably never had so large an audience before to hear him dispensing justice. Public opinion seemed divided, but the greater number expressed regret at the occurrence, and some pressed upon the Mayor to drop the matter, but he had made his mind up to go through with it. In fact, he wanted an opportunity to tell the offenders that they would receive no mercy hereafter, insofar as he and the chief were concerned.

“The trial was only a sort of travesty, and simply developed that neither “Cecilites,” Salvationists nor any other set of shouting outside preachers would be allowed to bawl, whistle or sing unless it was under the leadership of a deaf mute.

“The Mayor was considered by some to be rather unreasonable, especially when he declared his intention of taking the bull by the hornsd. It is to be hoped that he will be satisfied by taking by the tails the cows that make early incursions into gardens. By his order, the cows are shup up all night, and in the morning they seem to be hungry enough to eat up the vegetables, garden and all.

“None of your nonsense, Mr. Wardell, but inside of crushing out ‘Cecilism’ just try your hand in the way of crushing out cows. If they are not street preachers, they rise early enough to do more harm in an hour than a ‘Cecilite’ could do in ten years.

“Well, it is some consolation to know that we shall have rest for two weeks, that being His Worship’s period of probation for street preachers to learn manners as respects street howling. What a chance this gives the Salvation Army to do some extra work in the way of trying to rope in our worthy Mayor, who has told Messrs. Mason and Townsend ‘to go and sin no more.’ What a text he has given them, and won’t they improve upon it too.

“The dismissal of the case has given great satisfaction, but what a time the Chief will have watching the parties. Some parties occasionally get out from Hamilton, perhaps from the asylum, who make night hideous, but the Chief fails to hear their shouting and lets them go on. Perhaps he is comfortably provided with a bed about that time, as the Hamilton boys are the reverse of early risers, consequently they go into bed late, just to bother the toll-keepers, for the street railway stops at a respectable hour in the night.”⁴

⁴ “The Woes of Dundas : Some Matters Needing Attention if All Shouting is to Be Put Down : Mayor Wardell’s Crusade.”

Hamilton Times.  November 21, 1883.