Of course it spread like wildfire in the neighborhood of Herriges house that the police had visited it, and found there a man who had been confined for nearly his whole life-time in a little cage of a room. In consequence a great multitude of curious people at once collected on Fourth Street and Lombard Street, and as the story was repeated from mouth to mouth, a feeling of anger spread through the assembled hundreds that quickly broke out into violent demonstrations. Hoots and yells and curses were indulged in, and such cries as: "Burn the d----d house down! Bring out the infernal wretches! Lynch them! Tear them out! Hang them! Poor fellow! how horrible to keep him that way! Down with the shanty boys!" At this moment some person in the midst of the mob hurled a stone at the wooden image that stands at the entrance to the store. This was like a spark in a train of gunpowder, and amidst a shower of missiles a rush was made for the apparently fated dwelling. But at this juncture some one shouted out: "Back! back! there's only old women in the house! He's run away for the police!" This stopped the rush, and without doubt saved the building from speedy demolition at the hands of the enraged mob. Meantime Herriges himself had walked out of the house and started up Fourth Street, on his way to the station-house to obtain a force of policemen to protect his property from the threatened attack. He was at once discovered and recognized by the infuriated people, who with one accord dashed after him with frightful yells and cries of "Kill him! Run him up to the lamp-post!" It was about this time that several gentlemen connected with the newspaper press arrived on the scene for the purpose of obtaining particulars of the case. On entering the dwelling, Herriges' mother, a very old; and as the reporters describe her, "weasaned faced woman," seized one of them and begged him to save her. "Oh, save me! for the mob is throwing bricks and stones at the house! They are going to burn it down, and burn us all alive in it." She was assured that she would be protected, and that no harm would befal her; and a special messenger was despatched to the police station to have a powerful posse of men hurried down to save the place. Each moment the mob was growing larger and increasing in the violence of its demonstrations, and had not the force of police arrived shortly after this, there is no doubt but that the house would have been torn completely down, and perhaps burned. Happily, however, such a result was averted by prompt action on the part of the authorities. The newspaper gentlemen, thereupon, had ample opportunity to proceed with their visit of inquiry. A respectable looking woman led the way up stairs ascending which required more than ordinary effort, not only on account of their wretched condition, but also on account of the frightful stench that came from the late abode of the imbecile.