Instead of attempting to
escape, he simply turns to his friend, Burleigh, with the words, "You
may as well open the door, and let them come in and do their worst." But
fortunately, Burleigh was in no such extremely non-resistant mood.
The advent of the mayor and the constables upon the scene at this point
rescued Garrison from immediately falling into the hands of the mob, who
were cleared out of the hall and from the stairway. Now the voice of the
mayor was heard urging the ladies to go home as it was dangerous to
remain; and now the voice of Maria Weston Chapman, replying: "If this is
the last bulwark of freedom, we may as well die here as anywhere." The
ladies finally decided to retire, and their exit diverted, while the
operation lasted, the attention of the huge, cat-like creature from
their object in the anti-slavery office. When the passing of the ladies
had ceased, the old fury of the mob against Garrison returned. "Out with
him!" "Lynch him!" rose in wild uproar from thousands in the streets.
But again the attention of the huge, cat-like creature was diverted from
its object in the second story of the building before which it was
lashing itself into frenzy. This time it was the anti-slavery sign which
hung from the rooms of the society over the sidewalk. The mob had caught
sight of it, and directly set up a yell for it. The sensation of utter
helplessness in the presence of the multitude seemed at this juncture to
return to the chief magistrate of the city.
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