Prepared for trouble, the Mayor arrived in good time with 20 police.  When the Baron appeared he was clothed in a gown decorated with a red cross on back and front.  He proceeded to give account of the various "abominable crimes of Popery" which was cast down as being un-Christian Paganism.

He announced that "popery" is no religion but merely a political system for enslaving the general population.

In contrast with the Church of England, Baptists and Wesleyans, he claimed that Popery was afraid of free speech and discouraged open discussion.

Its priests, he claimed, were uncapable and unfit.  Although priests are forbidden to marry, he suggested that the nunneries were merely "houses of ill-fame" which could be used by the priest on payment of the appropriate sum to the Pope.

He even claimed that at least half of the nuns were in fact men in disguise, working to further the Popes' cause throughout the world
 

Theatre Royal Original Venue for the Baron

There were plans, he claimed, to re-annex England to the domains of the Pope.  He even produced plans of several items used during the Spanish Inquisition and explained how they came to be made in Sheffield by agents of the Pope!

During the talk anyone who uttered any condemnation of the Baron was removed from the crowd and relative order was maintained but tensions were mounting.  The Catholics of the town, consisting largely of Irish, were enraged to hear their religion and beliefs slandered in this way.  Many non-Catholics who were taken in by the Baron's tale began to feel anger and resentment against the apparent foreign agents in their midst.  The tolerance which had developed in the previous thirty years since the building of St Austin's was evaporating quickly.

When the speech was over chaos ensued.