In the Akron daily Democrat, September 16, 1901, Page 8, an article appeared, entitled
Gone West:
Editor of the Press-Post in Full Flight
Columbus O., Sept. 16 [1901] -(Spl.)-
Clarence Jones, formerly editor of the Press-Post, who said things editorially about McKinley and escaped a mob Saturday night is now speeding West, destination unknown. His brother, Ellis Jones, says Clarence has retired and he (Ellis) will now do the editing for the paper.
You can see this page in
Chronicling America at
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84028140/1901-09-16/ed-1/seq-8/
What caused all this fuss you may ask? "Intemperate utterances" in the aftermath of the
Assassination of William McKinley.
The Washington Times,
September 15, 1901 has the story:
MOB THREATENS EDITOR
Police Needed to Escort a
Columbus Newspaper Man
COLUMBUS Ohio Sept. 14 [1901]
The police rescued
Clarence M. Jones editor and proprietor of the “Press Post”, a Democratic paper
of the city from a mob which besieged his office at 6 o’clock this evening and
took him to the home of his mother In East Broad Street
Because of intemperate
utterances which appeared in three editions of his paper today, and which are
insults to the memory of the dead President a mob of several thousand began to assemble
In front of the “Press Post” office soon after the third edition appeared on
the streets at 4 o clock. Members of the mob grabbed papers from the newsboys
and bought as many as they could from newsstands heaped them up in front of the
office and made a fire.
While the mob was shouting
and threatening outside, the proprietor who was almost alone in the building
sat at his desk In fear. Finally he telephoned for police protection and a
carriage. Both arrived at about the same time Chief Tyler with thirty policemen
forced his way to the building. Between two rows of stalwart policemen, Jones
was brought out and while the crowd hooted cursed and hissed he, was put Into
the cab and hurriedly driven away.
Jones utterances today
were the most inexplicable of his erratic course as editor of what he himself
has called “that queer paper”.
Today the principal
headline of the noon edition was a vicious paraphrase of the President’s last
words. It reads:
“His last words to his loving wife are said to
have been these to wit” ‘lt’s the devil’s own way of trying to circumvent God,
amen.’”
On the editorial page in
bold faced type was this:
“The spirit of William
McKinley, twenty-fifth President of the United States of America has flown to
Its white house in the the skies. Requiescat in pace. May it never be impelled
to wage merciless war on the spirits of innocent Filipino patriots.”
These and more rabid expressions excited
comment following the appearance of the noon edition and on their repetition in
subsequent editions indignation became widespread with the above result. Before
leaving the scene of the disturbance Chief Tyler locked the doors of the “Press
Post” building and said to the mob:
“As you can see the
building is dark. No one is inside. I give you my word of honor the “Press Post”
will not resume publication. It is understood he was authorized to make this
promise by Jones.
I wonder how often newspapers are threatened by mobs any more. "Intemperate utterances" seem pretty common
[With thanks for research assistance to EOJ]
