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occasionally nearly every person in Court was cheering or hissing
according to his sentiments, and the Superintendent could hardly have
afforded six constables to capture each disturber. However, at my
father's request, his friends ceased to cheer. The charge against Mr
Bradlaugh was dismissed without hearing the whole of the evidence for
the defence.[60] The magistrates found Mr Steer guilty, but said that
they did not consider the assault to have been of a severe character,
and therefore fined him only 5s. and costs, not to include attorney's
costs. Of course, the question of religious belief was raised on
the swearing of the witnesses for the defence, but the only two who
were questioned happened to be religious persons--one, indeed, was an
"Independent Nonconformist," who was on his way to chapel, and was
attracted to the field by the crowd and the presence of the police. On
the following day (March 9th) notices were served by the authorities,
representing the War Department in Devonport, on the Plymouth
Freethinkers and others concerned, forbidding the use of the Park for
the purpose of lectures; Mr Bradlaugh therefore lectured on Sunday[61]
in the Free Institute, while he turned over in his mind a plan for the
following Sunday (17th). He announced to his audience that he intended
to lecture "very near the Park," but the precise spot would not be made
known until it was too late for the police to interfere.

[Footnote 60: The descriptions of Mr Bradlaugh which appeared in some
of the Devonshire papers, and the opinions expressed in them, are
rather amusing to read now, so many years after they were written. The
_Devonport Telegraph_ said that Mr Bradlaugh was twenty-eight years of
age, and his cross-examinations were such "as would have done credit to
an able barrister."

The _Western Morning News_ said that he was "apparently about
thirty-four years of age, and 5 ft. 10 ins. in height, is stoutly
built, of a sallow complexion, and his countenance is adorned with
neither whiskers nor moustache. He possesses intelligent features,
and a commanding forehead, and he wears his hair brushed behind his
ears.... His examination of the witnesses was conducted with facility
and with much regularity.... He sustained his equanimity of temper in
an admirable manner."

The _Devonport Independent_, referring to the presence in Court of
the various dissenting ministers and others, said "they could not
help admiring his [Mr Bradlaugh's] remarkable precision, his calm and
collected demeanour, and the ability with which he 'conducted his own
case' as well as that of his friend.... He is about twenty-eight years
of age, slight, and of a fair complexion, above the ordinary height,
and bearing the impress of an intelligent countenance."

The _Plymouth Mail_ thought "the infidel lecturer Bradlaugh and his
friend Steer got off easily."

The _Western Daily Mercury_ gave very full reports of the trial, and
under the heading "Scandala Magnata" wrote a condemnation of the
prosecution. It also inserted a number of letters on both sides:
one, from "an old subscriber," who described himself as "the father
of a family and lover of the truths of Scripture," wished that
the inhabitants had "routed the wicked man Bradlaugh out of the
neighbourhood," and expressed a desire that the Government should
punish the dockyard men who co-operated with Bradlaugh.]

[Footnote 61: Meanwhile the Park was occupied by the military and the
police in readiness to clear away the "infidels" should they appear.]

Bills were posted to the following effect:--

 "In consequence of advice received, 'Iconoclast' will deliver an
 open-air address on Sunday forenoon, and will be present near the
 Devonport Park Lodge about half-past ten in order to vindicate the
 right of free speech."

Considerable excitement prevailed in Plymouth. Some thought that,
in spite of the notice from the War Office representatives, the
lecture was to be given in the Park itself; others thought a certain
three-cornered field had been hired. All were wrong; private ground
could not be had for love or money, the owners and renters of all such
having joined the police and the clergy; vacant land belonging to the
borough was also out of the question, because my father felt that to
have lectured on such ground must have resulted in a collision with
the police, and might have ended disastrously for some of his friends.
Mr Bradlaugh, Mr Williamson, and Captain Trenaman consulted together,
and--who originated the idea I do not know--after ascertaining that
all the water was under the jurisdiction of the Saltash Corporation,
it was resolved to give the lecture from a boat in such a way that
while the audience were in the borough of Devonport, the speaker, only
a few yards distant from his hearers, should be outside the Devonport
jurisdiction.

"On Sunday morning, unfortunately, it rained in torrents and blew great
gales," lamented Mr Bradlaugh, in a brief description of the day's
adventures. "We, however, determined to persevere, and on arriving
near the Devonport Park Lodge I soon found myself at the head of a
considerable number, who, despite the rain and the wind, followed me
to Stonehouse Creek, a small tributary of the river Tamar, where I
embarked on board the boat previously hired, and on which we erected
a sort of platform from which I delivered a short address, the union
jack being hoisted at the head of the boat. Directly after I had
commenced to speak, Mr Superintendent Edwards made his appearance, and
certainly looked most disconsolate when he found the plan I had adopted
to avoid his vigilance. As it was still raining very hard, I made my
address a very brief one, telling the people that I was very glad of
the opportunity of asserting the right of free speech, and promising to
assert it again when I next visited Devonport. I was cheered several
times notwithstanding the still descending torrent. Mr Edwards, who
had nearly captured the cab containing my wife, had under his command
no less than twenty-eight policemen besides Inspector Bryant, and the
Mayor was prepared with the Riot Act; but all their precautions were
set at naught, and the right of open-air propaganda was victoriously
asserted. Mr Superintendent Edwards, with scarcely bottled up ire and
indignation, endeavoured to find a victim in the licensed waterman, but
even here he was defeated, as Captain Trenaman had taken his own crew."

Mr Bradlaugh concluded his account by thanking the friends who had
helped him "and the bold Trenamans, father and son, who commanded
under me my first marine endeavour at Freethought propaganda."
Immediately after the conclusion of the police proceedings Mr Bradlaugh
wrote a letter to Superintendent Edwards demanding that he should
publish an apology in certain papers and pay £10 to the Devon and
Cornwall Hospital, £10 to the Stoke Female Orphan Asylum, and his (Mr
Bradlaugh's) witnesses' expenses; but the messenger who delivered the
letter was info

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