Nearly three thousand people were in the hall.

There seemed to be no visible symptoms of a riot.

When I rose to speak I was greeted with applause by the immense assembly, and also several times in the course of my remarks.

As soon, however, as I had concluded my address, a furious mob broke into the hall, yelling and shouting as if the very fiends of the pit had suddenly broken loose.

The audience rose in some confusion, and would undoubtedly have been broken up, had it not been for the admirable self-possession of some individuals, particularly the women.