The Express.
London, England, 1864-12-17 00:00:00

DISGRACEFUL CONDUCT AT MR. SPURGEON'S

TABERNACLE.

Yesterday the Rev. John Gurney, curate to the
Rev. Mr. Green, incumbent of Trinity Church, Carlisle-
street, Lambeth, wee charged before Mr. Yardley, at the
Lambeth Police-court, with creating a disturbance at Mr.
Spurgeon 's Tabernacle, and assaulting Mr. Thome Trenton
Price, a City minionary, and Mr. John Claverhouse, a
member of Mr. Spurgeon's congreption, a surveyor of
government stores. _ _ -

The court was much crowded by the members of the
Tabernacle and the friends of the prisoner.
Mr. Culverwell, on being sworn, said he was employed to
keep order at Mr. Spurgeon's chapel, and on the night
before, between the hours of seven end eight o'clock, and
during the performance of divine service, be was called to
the first gallery, when he found the prisoner tipsy and creat-
ing a disturbance in • sort of growling now, which dis-
turbed the service, so that public attention was drawn to it
while prayers were being offered. He (whines) asked the
prisoner repestedly to leave, and not to disturb the congre-
gation, but he would not, and he was ultimately obliged to
he removed by force, and in the struggle to get him out he
struck him (witness) a blow on the eye, from the effects of
which he was still suffering.
Mr. Thomas Trenton Price gave evidence to the same
effect, and said that officers belonging to the church begged
the prisoner to desist, but he would not, and wee ultimately
removed from the building to the gate, where he had a des-
perate struggle with those removing him. He placed his
foot against the iron railings, and by this means resisted his
removal, but they ultimately rot him nut. Knowing him
before as the curate of Christ Church, Blackfners.road, the
witness recommended him to take • cab and go home, but
he refused, and insisted on going into the tabernacle again,
and used filthy language and swore very much. A friend
of his (witness) called a cab, and requested the rruoner to
get into it with his wife and go home, but he refused to
do so, and still insisted on going into the church.
Police-constable Gales, 245 P, said that while Mr. Spur-
geon was reading a chapter in the Bible the prisoner called
out, " • lie; you had better leave off ; that will do."
Those expressions could be beard by the minister (Mr.
Spurgeon), who called on the officers to turn him nut, and
he (witness) assisted in doing so. The prisoner hallooed
out at the top of his voice that he was church of England
minister, and demanded an explanation from Mr. Spurgeon,
and made a great disturbance. lie damned Mr. Spurgeon
several times. _ _ _ . .

Police-constable Thomas Shannon, 141 L. said at half-
past 10 o'clock the night before the prisoner was locked up
in a cell by himself, and the moment he was put ia he cm-
menoad knocking and kicking at the door so violently that
be broke the lock. He kept calling out ►t the top of his
voice, " Let me see Spurgeon, I want to see Spurgeon," for
a length of time, and was much excited.
Inspector Heath, of the L division, bare declared that the
prisoner was the most desperate man he had to deal with
in all his experience of police matters. In fact, be was
more like an untamed savage than a rational being, and it
required the united exertions of four powerful men to re-
move him from the charge-room to the cell. The damage
he bad done to the cell amounted to 10s., and there could
be no doubt that be was mad drunk.

Mr. John Addington, a member of Mr. Spurgeon's con-
gregation, said be knew the prisoner well as a general at-
tendant at the tabernacle, and had always observed that he
behaved exoeedingly well until the evening before. Ile bad
also known him to be a minister of the church of England.
The prisoner, who complained of his suffering in both
body and mind, said th►t much of what bad been stated
appeared to him like a dream, as be had no recollection
whatever of it. It was true, he said, that ho had been in
the habit of going to the chapel of Mr. Spurgeon, but so far
from differing from that gentleman, he we ready to ac-
knowledge that he not only agreed with but admired much
of what he said, and therefore he was at a perfect loss to
account for his conduct. Ile would admit, however, that
he had been drinking before he went to the chapel.
Mr. Yardley here inquired if there were any of the friends
of the prisoner present, as he should wish to know some-
thing of his recent ch►racter.
A young woman, who gave the name of Caroline Wake-
field, here got into the witness-ton and said the prisoner,
his wife, and two children lodged at the house of her father,
15, Union-street, Lambeth. lo reply to • question from the
magistrate, the witness reluctantly admitted she had seen
Mr. Gurney the worse for liquor, but added that she be-
lieved he otiose earnestly to do better.

Mr. Yardley observed that the cause for the prisoner's
extraordinary and disreput►ble conduct was quite appa-
rent, and the fact of his being a clergyman, so far from
being an extenuation, was a considerable aggravation of his
offence. Had a poor, illiterate, and ignorant man been
pilty of similar misconduct there would be no hesitation
in punishing him ; and why, he should ask, should there be
any hesitation in punishing the prisoner, who from his posi-
tion in life and sacred calling as a minister of religion
should not only have known better, but have set a better
example. Under all the circumstances, he felt bound to
commit him to seven days imprisonment.
The prisoner appealed to the magistrate to be more
lenient, laying he had a wife and two children dependent
on him for support, and if sent to prison must lose his
appointment.
Mr. Yardley refused to remit the sentence, remarking
that if the question was put to him, he would say that
he was not a fit person to hold the position of a clergy-
man.