The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1880-10-26 00:00:00

THE "SALVATION ARMY" AT LAW.

At the Borough Petty S-Migion, nq Tomelay, before the
Mayor (J. T. Stephens, gsq.), suit 11•. Hoy, M ri., &UMW
Stootbridgo, of Sooth.otroor. and William Bugler. in the
M employ of r. 1.1. Alien, baker, Folly Mill-lane, two youths,
were charge I with using profane and obscene language in
South-street, ti the annoyanc I of rtsidents and passengers
along the street there.
Mr. D oy appoared for the prosecution, and In opening
the case ea d it was the wish of his clients to prevent a
repetition, and trusted the Benoit would bind defendants
over to keep the peace. Mr. Day then called his client,
Frederick Jackson, .Captain of the "LS corps," located in
this town, commonly known as" Happy all the Day."
Prosecutor said "I son • preacher of the Gospel." On
27t t September, between seven and eight p.m., I was in
South-stmt. outside the Friends' Meeting House. I saw
holt the defendants. Stembridge asked ins if I waa
willing to fight, and came In front of me in • fighting
attitude. I salt nothing to cause him to do 6^l. I did not
answer him then. It was obscene and improper
(.1 sekson now wrote it down and banded it to thlrlttloact)
I asked him quietly to go away, and he refused. Just
afterward a constable came up and they fled away. but
when the constable was gone they came and renewed the
language. The defendants and a ler.te mob crowded and
pushed us shout They followed us up the street, using
bad language, and wanted me to fight.
Stembridge now said he had no question to leak.
David Jones, who has termed himself "Lieutenant " and
"Hallelujah Welshman," deposed being in company with
last witness. He heard the language, but could not say
whose lips they came from. He heard someone say D—n
you. Previous to that he saw Stembridge, and heard him
say he would fight Jackson. Stembridge was the leader'
there wig a snob pushing. Did not see any blows, but
received • blow from someone. Stembridge put up his
fists against Jackson's face.
William Mounter, said to be • convert, stated on oath
that be saw defendants, who were "g tint on fine,"—bad as
one another. They is V/0 use of o,ectine and improper
language. Saw th. mgo up and insist on going in (mann-
ing to the meeting), he also saw the mob. Mounter
corroborated the statement made as to the language.
In answer to the charge, Stembridge said he heard the
PPliching. and all standing round were Invited to come to
the meeting. He was violently pushed into the gutter,
and was aggravated, or should not have said what he did.
It was one of the men they had converted, but who bee
turned drunkard, that pushed him.
Bugler said Henway (a convert) pushed him.
T.os ma
than o`• rostrat-s th ooght the larg age was more p7ofane
I .

_ .
Th.. Mvy • M. Day if he hod anskiing to answer
for, as o tio condo Lot h s cii,n,• (L .ughter.)
Mr. Day's 11124Wer was ta to prodecutors wi%hed to
here defendants hound ov. r. (Mena wed laughter.)
His Worship askei Mr. Day if he had any objection to
his client. being bound over to keep the peace?
An uorosr coinmenced in C iurt, expressive of "consent,"
hut this was invtiottly suppressed by the Mayor, who
observed tivre had I e.a a of fikdia, in the matter.
In his potitio,i the 8 dv.tion Army had been a trial to him,
es
he had had vastou. onninuoic .ti 'no shout them. He
knew that it suited them to ire" made martyrs o(," end
that was why he had not inlet/erred. But he thought the
Array should behave in a more decorous manner in the
streets.
Dr. Hay screed with his Worship, and feared that if
thtn state of thing. continued that* would be a serioue
breaeh of the peso..
?dr. Day objected C.) bin clients being bound, as there
we. niiihing to iu.tify it.
The Bach then distunised the ca ie, which decision was
met with approval by roost in tne Cruet,
The Mayor said he did not wish the matistratee to be
miecesatrusted, the public bad no right to make a &dart,-
&DO, la the street, oadther had the Salvation Army,

WIRING FOR TIIE TELEGRAM.

Whitt saith the general? What saith the public? Once
again the Salvationists have rushed into the talon., of
tie iaw, no doubt with the grand object of seeing their
unpopular cause eserpr from them renewed and
strengthened by yet another martyrdom. And a
martyrdom it wits, but the " Cappen " and his clique
were scorched in an unexpected manner.
. . . . . . .

particulars of the trial on Ti7eTd;;}, will be found
in a neighbouring column, and your readers, Mr.
Editor, will unanimously pronounce the verdict just
as it should have been. The facts of the case appear
to be that during a bolding-forth by the 58th Corps in
South-street an in v itation was issued to all enlizhtened or
unenlightened listeners to attend the "inside "meeting.
Two youths accepted the invitation, and endeavoured
to obtain admission but (according to a statement adduced
In Court) one of them was pushed back into a gutter
by a new convert, and one of the same genus
treated the other youth rather unceremoniously.
Having no respect for muscular Christianity, the
first
.youth offers the pseudo captain fight. The
captain refuses to accept the challenge, and the
foiled youth pours forth a volley of abuse, unpardon-
able abuse, which he follows up, as he does the
captain, until he seeks the sanctity and protection of
his lodgings.
So here is a good case. On Tuesday last, the
captain and lieutenant, richly caparisoned in the army
uniform, and putting on smiles as heavenly and
sanctimonious as was issisible under the circumstances
—these gallant soldiers, or shall I say disturbers of
the public peace ?—enter the tribunal. The ammuni-
tion consists of unconfutable evidence, the knowledge
of the general's sanction, and last, not least, the aid of
an energetic solicitor, who pours forth eloquently and
irresistibly upon the soul-saving mission of his clients.
Why does the court simper? Because the counsel
pleads on the strength 4d his clients mission? Alt!
how touching 1 The scene was very sublime in its
way. Scattered about the hall was the remnant of
this glorious army, each soldier anxious as to the
result, and ever and an ,n casting glances of devotion
at the " Cappen" and his subordinate, who looking so
nice and becoming, in costumes a la 'nod postmen.
How clearly the evidence for the prosecution issues
forth! Surely there can be nothing for those shiver-
ing culprits less than transportation, or at least 70
lashes! _ _

Had the tower of Siloam fallen upon the roof of
the tribunal, it could net have produced expressions
more horrifying, countenances more weird, when the
chief magistrate asked the counsel if he had an
objection to his clients being bound over to "keep the
peace." What ! bind their " Cappen" and Imo-tenant,
the quint-essence of peace and ? The Bench
cannot be corn pus mentia! Ah ! this is but a terrestial
jurisdiction; cur cause must triumph. To make
matters worse the horrid public, by various manifesta-
tions, showed its approval ,4 such a course. But the
coup-de-grace was struck when the Bench decided to
dismiss the case, and all the cream of their anticipated
triumph melted into a maityrdom indeed, when the
Bench indicated, as plain as they could, that they
would have public peace observed, and whilst they
did not palliate, but on the contrary censured the
defendants, it was plain they believed the di.turbances
due to the indecorous mode of conducting street
services.

It is very evident that had there been brought
"official" evidence against the captain and lieutenant
—had the defendants preferred a counter-charge, which
they might have done according to their own story,—
each party might have been bound over to keep the
peace, and the effect would have been salatory.
However, as it stood, the case was dismiseed. The
large circle who have experienced so much disquietude
of late hail the decision with natural satisfaction, and
as the police have new received direct and official
Instructions how to act, it is earnestly hoped that the
Salvationists will learn • bitter lesson, and behave
more rationally, like reasonable men, rather than like
Infatuated savages. On Sunday night last a "parade"
was made to the hall, just as people were going to
church, when "Sager Rum" was lustily shouted by a
mob of about 150 youths. It is high time Bridport
Sabbaths should be conducted more like they were
when the Salvation Army was unknown to us.

Letters are, unfortunately, apt to fall into other hands
than those intended for them, and the situations which
arise are as often uncomfortable as they are ludicrous.
Not long since a plodding youth got tired of dispensing
ribbon by the yard, and determined to go in for the
press, assuring his friends t at his inborn genius would
shine forth with all the brilliance of • talented
journalist. And there is no doubt that it does. But
during the excitement of the late electon, the youth
managed to take a stiff order, and the commission not
being forthcoming from his employer, actually had the
audacity to apply to the donor of the order for the same.
Repeated calls were unsuccessful, and at last the
exasperated donor wrote a final epistle, recommending
the youth to the filial care of His Satanic Majesty.
The tender letter fell into the wrong hands, and the
discomfiture of the youth may be better imagined than
described.

I have heard of people running away with ideas, and
very foolish ones sometimes, but when a man runs
away with the idea that somebody has stolen three
watches and a chain, his idea is to get it again. A
few evenings since, a certain repairer of chronometers
called at a hostelry in the precincts, where he was
generously treated with gin. He was tempted to take
glass after glass, and the :tinning rascals who" stood"
diluted the gin with gin. "Old Tom "seems to have en
far got the better of h rn that he was induced to offer fight
to a sprightly individual. But the set-to would be at-
tended with danger to the watches, so he confided them,
with the chain, to the care of Boniface. Eventually he
returned home, but upon reaching his couch bethought
himself of his watches. Off he hurries to the landlord
demanding the return of his property. In vain the
landlord emphatically declared they were returned to
him. He returned home, but not to rest, and ere the
dawn of next day he was at him again, with a similar
result. Several friends present on the previous night
received early morning mils, but the poor fellow conld
learn no ti dogs of his property. The alcoholic mists
cleared away at daybreak, and as he lay in bed lament-
in..: his loss, a wild thought struck him. He bounced
out of bed, and with a trembling hand opened • drawer.
There lay the watches and chain, which he now
remembered having placed there on the previous
night.

EXTRAORDINARY SUICIDE OF A LADY.
On Tuesday afternoon Mr. W. Carter, coroner for
East Surrey, held an inquiry at the Vivian Tavern,
Philliproail, Peckham-rye, into the circumstances
attending the death of Mrs. Sarah Greenfield, aged
about 55 years, who was found dead in a bath at her
residence, 25, Manerton-road, on Saturday night last.
—From the evidence of the deceased's husband, a re-
tired publican, it appeared that on the evening in
question ho, at his wife's request, went shopping, she
declining to accompany him. He was away about an
hour and and a half, and n his return he found that
the door was bolted inside. He went to the side
entrance, and got over the gate into the yard. Find-
ing both back doors fastened, he forced one of the
doors, and obtained entrance into the house. He went
to the parlour, where he had left deceased, but she
was not there. A piece of paper was lying on the
table on which was written in ink, in the handwriting
of deceased, "This I. what I have done myself to save
my husband f nen ruining (sic). —(Signed) Sarah Green-
field." Witness then rushed upstairs with a light,
awl searched the bedrooms. He found his wife
lying dressed in a bath, her face covered by
ebout two feet of water. He raised her head
and shoulders clear and ran for assistance. A
doctor pronounced her to be dead. There had since
been found a torn envelope, on the back of which was
written, "This I did myself. —(signed) Sarah Green-
field, Saturday." A fo,tnight ago a little neice,to
whom deceased WAS greatly attached, died, and since
then she had been depressed and subject to hallucina-
tions. She fancied there was a conspiracy existing to
ruin witness, and although he tri oil to persuade her. other-
wise she persisted in her belief. There WM not the
slightest ground for the delusion. Deceased was a
temperate woman. Witness was fully persuaded that
she had committed suicide, her mind at the time being
unhinged.—Police-constable Dawson, 353 P, stated
that he was called to the house on Saturday evening,
and found deceased in the bath dead. He found an
open razor by the side of tho bath. —Mr. Greenfield,
recalled, said the razor belonged to him. His opinion
was that deceased intended to cut her throat if she had
not succeeded in drowning hereelt—By the Jury : Ho
was not in the slightest fear of ruin.—After a short
deliberation In private the jury returned a verdict of
"Suicide while mentally deranged."