steering column disassembly?

Got most of my 72 Demon column apart. It has the shifter. I am trying to get the outer tube housing that has the mesh out from the inner tube part. I do still have the lower top assembly half still in place. I removed three long screws that appeared to hold it to the column tube? Do I need to tap that upper lower half off the tube now?? My bottom has the lockout arm on it and it does not appear to come off, or am I wrong here too? Does it slide out the bottom or out the top? I don't see anymore screws holding anything?