The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1881-05-03 00:00:00

THE "SALVATION ARMY"
AT POOLE.

EXTRAORDINARY DIOWNSTRATION.

On Saturday Paoli we, the scene of proceedings
which rivalled the old electi in days. Aa our readers
inivit be fully were, a cuudilerahle amount of feel-
in •—acrisnonious in sO7llB midi -has of late been
stirred up by the doings of " kleneral" Booth's
f•illowers. They have gained ailments, while on
tlei other hand many have been disgusted with what
they feel ti be a burlesque of religion in 11100 going
about dressed in a uniform something between a
policeman's and a railway guard's, and calling them-

selvea "Captains," " Majora," and the like. From
time to time the attention of the magistrates has been
directed to the " &tray," by cases which has been
brought before them, of assaults committal up in the
" Officers," said in some eenteirxis of exceptional
severity have been passe I. Not a very 1 Jug ago a
young fell ,w, who hal hit '' C ytain " Campion, wee
sent to gaol for two months ; and yet the Mayor his
been openly accused of iding with the opponeuts of
the " Army," although, in striking contrast to this
heavy punishment, a aolgh, who • few days pre-
viously had _Li__kisd a policeman's tooth out, WAS let off
with • hoe of 20s. 'Some two months since the
Mayor issued an edict, in compliance with the request
of a large number of inhabitants, whose Sunday
afternoons were disturbed by tees., people, that no
processions were to be allowed, and that the police
were to dieperse any assemblage in the public streets
for whatever object assembled. The " Army "
submitted moat creditably to the official mandate, and
the two for several weeks resumed its wonted
quietude. Very I itely, however, Mr. Alderman
Norton has associated himself with the disciples of
"General" Booth, ..nd with what many consider to be
questionable taste on the part of a gentleman in
his p isition, has not only chadeage I the power of the
Mayor to rule over the borough, but has heeded the
"Army" io its defiance of the order. issued. In the
meanwhile the magistracy have beau somewhat puzzled
how to dead with coutimacy such as this. Their
bye-laws, it would seem, did not meet the case; and
we uudorstaud a considerable amouot of corres-
Pondeoce II us ensued with the Home Secretary. The
result has bein, it is said, that the Army are to have
their eangine procesaions, and the police are to protect
them. This became generally known on Thursday,
and, encourage 1 by it, the Army, beefed by Aldermen
Norton, perambulated as beretifore. They were met
by the roughs, and a general scrim nage emu s.l. The
co.oura—a small flag of red and blue, with the
inscription "blood a ol tire"—carrie.l by each "corps,"
were captured aud re-captured. Tao Aid arm in, we
believe, was roughly used; the in Ai, with a rude
sense of justice, paying their attention to the ring-
leaders, lather than the foliowing. And ultimately
the Army beat a retreat down some of the by-streets,
to re auemble afterwards at their "barracks."
OuSsturday the folloivin; handoiil was circulated
through the town :

BLOOD VD) FIRE I
C we in tuiiiloaucts t
THE
.UPPOS!T,ION. ARMY

Will -e
m. !uct.p.raiii ch. won). Ininig
at
7 p.

L3veraA Jute., and AU .re.oted tu tbta great move-
ment at', rq elved t, attend.
HAMS I! COLA as ! !
(814ucd) HALLELUJAH.

It wee feared that • riot inignt arise out of this,
and the meat extraor Unary precautions were taken.
Th., Army arrived at the usual hour on Saturday
evening at their ordinary " stand ' on the Quay, and
they were accompanied by the Mayor (31r. Curtis),
ths Sb riff (Mr. l'revanion), Mr. Alderman Norton,
Mr. Couocillor Mate, air. Warren (magistrates'
clerk), and other influential townsmen. Toe usual
servi e was then gone through, consistiug of the sing-
lug ot hymns, and the assertions of a number of the
Army that they thanked God tney were "saved" sod
were not as other men are. An immense crowd had
assembled, but the pruceediws were comparatively
quiet, Mr. Superintendent limit and about a dozen
constables being in attendance. At the conclusion
"Cap sin" Campion tbc local leader of the Army,
gave the word, ''laft iu four deep!" Four policemen
immediately t ,ok the lead, and cl 44 behind them the
Mayor. the Magistrate" Clerk, the Sheriff, and the
other gaitlemeu we have named followed, the Army
falling in immediately after.
In the meanwhile It should be stated the opposition
Army had arrived upon the acme. rms consisted of
sonic 200 or 300 of the "gay and festive youths "of the
place. Tney marched down four deep, headed by a
man, wh we believe, has already "suffered" for an
undue expression of his feelings regarding "General"
Booth'e merry men, and singing at the pitch of their
voices, "For he's a jolly good fellow." No
cdlision happily octane'. The opposition seemed
to fancy the whole affair the occasion of a bit
of go 4-natured fun, and when the Salvationists
fell i to rank, headed by the police end the magnates
of the pl ice, and guarded on either side by constable?,
they contented themselves by giving vent to their
upiniqua in a eerie. of derisive howls that would have
doue credit to a herd of lunatic Zulu'. /lio doubt had
the evening been darker a very serious disturbance
would have ensued, but 114 it was comparatively right
the ringleaders did not care to risk the chance of a
coople of months at "college." In addition to this it
wee rumoured pretty generally, with what amount of
truth we can't say, that the Mayor had the riot act in
his pocket.. This seemed to be regarded as as gt of
produce and level at the mob, and they would, to use
official mittraileuse, which his Worship had only to
the expressive words of ono of their number, "all be
crpattes in two twos.'
The march then commenced amid tremendoua
howling. On getting to • narrow street near the
church a large contingent , f the opposition had taken
a near cu. and met the Salvationists face to face. liere,
if ever there had been any idea of • firht was the place
where it could have been carried out; but the police
behaved admirably. Instead of hitting out right
and left, as that precious A Division of Metro-
politau are in the habit of doing, they simply
closed up to the front, and, without the least
lose of temper, elbowed away through the mob
for the Army. In the Market-place there
must have been at the lowest computation 4.000 people
assembled. It was simply crammed, and the steps of
the Guildhall, thronged with sightseers, reminded one
of the gatherings winch we shall never see again, when
Mr. Waring drove through the town. The Army,
composed for the most part of • number of girls,
who seemed to think it a regular spree, arrived sing-
ing at their barracks in safety. There they were left
by the Mayor and other., and there, with the reader's
permission, we will leave them.