19173 "The Streets of Baltimore"* 



Detrick had stubbornly held her place. Stopping for 

 a moment only at the Rennert to pick up my luggage, 

 we went on to Biddle Street, where I passed an 

 undisturbed night, quite innocent of any attempt to 

 "disappear." 



The next day I read in the Baltimore American 

 that the mob, made up of " scions of the most aristo- 

 cratic families of the state" to the number of about 

 1 200, paraded the town and visited all the hotels in 

 search of me, singing "We'll hang Bill Bryan to a 

 sour apple tree," and "We'll hang Dave Jordan to a ous hymns 

 sour apple tree." On a soft and peaceful Sabbath 

 evening one would hardly have expected such a harsh 

 and incongruous ending to a meeting called by a 

 clergyman in the cause of peace ! I had forgotten the 

 ardent temper of the hotspurs of that city who 

 assassinated the valiant General Henry Lee, " Light- 

 horse Harry," father of Robert E. Lee, because of 

 his opposition to declaring war in 1812, and who in 

 1 86 1, in their efforts to waylay Abraham Lincoln, 

 were responsible for 



. . . the patriotic gore 

 That flecked the streets of Baltimore. 



The American 5 account was substantially correct 

 so far as I know, though one of two Hopkins pro- 

 fessors said to have been with the crowd disclaimed 

 any relation to it and was doubtless only a member of 

 the audience. Afterward I heard on good authority interested 

 that the mob was directed by an armament builder 

 and composed not of employees but mainly of "young 

 bucks," sons of bankers and others interested in 

 armament trade. Also that it was primarily insti- 

 gated by an editorial in a local newspaper which 



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