The Sun.
London, England, 1868-01-06 00:00:00

THE FENIAN OUTI?AGES.

The late Fenian robbery of revolvers has been followed
by a robbery of powder. The magazine of Mr. Murray,
agent for Curtis and Harvey, gunpowder manufacturers,
situate a short distance outside the city of Cork, was
broken into, and the entire stock, comprising lOcwt. of
blasting powder, was stolen. Three doors wer- forced
during the night—one of iron, one of wood, and one of
copper. The store was in the vicinity of a range of small
cottages. Attention has been called in the press to the
insecure state of the powder stores about Cork, and in
most instances the contents have been removed ; but this
one appears to have been overlooked. Two of the kegs
have been discovered, and the police expect to recover
more. The Gazette of Friday night contains the offer of
£2OO reward for such information as may lead to the appre-
hension of the party who robbed Mr. Aliport, but there is
little prospect of their detection. The police and military in
the provinces are severely harassed by the extra duties
they have to discharge.

A. correspondent of the Express relates a little incident
which illustrates the spirit of the soldiers and the friendly
feeling of the people of Limerick. There being no band
to escort the men to their new quarters, a voice in the
crowd cried out, " Soger, give us a song." The request
was promptly complied with byone of the redcoats, who
struck up a negro melody, in which his comrades joined in
chorus. Their performance afforded evident enjoyment to
the inhabitants who thronged the streets, and, finding the
vocalists agreeable, they called for various airs, which
were given with the same good will. The company of the
52nd was escorted to the railway station with similar
manifestations of friendship.

The Rev. E. G. Lynass, Roman Catholic priest at
Whitehaven, has addressed a letter to the local papers
with reference to an alleged intention to hold a funeral
procession at Cleater Moor, near that town, a few weeks
ago. He says the alarm was groundless, and adds :—" I
am most happy to declare the conviction of every priest
in the neighbourhood that Fenianism has no hold here,
and that no effort shall be wanting on our part to preserve
our people free from its diabolical influences. Let me ask
the public not to rashly judge our Irish residents. From
all parts of England, through the Times and other news-
papers, it is proclaimed boldly that Irish and Fenian are
not convertible terms." The rev. gentleman further states
" that to become a Fenian is to incur ipso facto excommu-
nication. This excommunication entails the loss of com-
munion in the prayers of the Church, and the deprivation
of the Sacraments ; and, therefore, were a man to die a
Fenian, the priest must of necessity deny him Christian
burial. No further proof is needed that Catholicity and
Fenianism are not one, as many assert."

A long letter was issued on Saturday by Mr. Water-
worth, a leading Roman Catholic priest at Worcester, on
the subject of Fenianism and its supposed adherents,
which has excited some attention. He alleges that the
Fenians are " in open war with the Catholic Church," and
that therefore it is opposed by all Catholics. As to the
cause of these rebellious proceedings, he declares that
foreigners affirm " that Lords Russell and Palmerston
were the open factors of foreign rebellion ;" that they

feted and praised and almost idolised that sad originator of

Italian misery, misrule,rebellion, sacrilege, and blasphemy,
that foolish man Garibaldi." Irishmen knew what had been
done and said in favour of rebellion, and in justification
of the assumptions of democracy over thrones and all
constituted authorities. They ask why they who were
once a nation should not he an independent people again.
" Is that forbidden to us in the hour of our discontent and
misery which is allowed to the Neapolitan and Sicilian, to
the Florentine and the Parmese Duchies ? England told
them to free themselves. Why are we alone inhibited
from claiming for our people independence and an Irish
throne ?" He adds that what is being done here in the
way of precaution is " inconsiderate and mischievous
under the circumstances." He adds : " There is not—l
am sure of this—there is not a single Irishman, or Irish-
woman, or Irish child resident in the city who has the
remotest connection with Fenianism. There is not one
who does not detest it." A meeting of the Roman Catho-
lics is talked of.

CREATING A DISTURBANCE IN A
CHURCH.

At the Mansion House Police-cmirt on Saturday, before
the Lord Mayor, Charles Pembridge Langston, residing at
Dalston, a leather agent, appeared to answer three sum-
monses, charging him, first, with having on the 29th
December been guilty of very violent and indecent beha-
viour in the parish church of St. Ethelburga, Dishepsgate,
during the celebration of divine service therein ; secondly,
with having molested and disturbed the Rev. Mr. Rod-
well, the complainant, he being the duly authorised
preacher ; and, thirdly, with having molested and dis-
turbed the complainant during the administration of the
sacrament of the Lord's Supper. The Rev. J. M. Rod-
well, the rector of St. Ethelburga, said that on Sunday,
the 29th of December, when coming up the middle aisle of
the church in the procession, being about to perform
divine service, he remarked the defendant, who was
sitting down while the others were standing. When
witness passed him he made a noise like a turkey-
cock. During the first part of the service the
defendant waved his hat in so extraordinary a manner
that the rector forgot the fourth commandment. During
the singing of the Nicene Creed, while the solo " And was
made man " was being performed, defendant sung very
loudly, disturbing the congregation. In the course of the
sermon, Mr. Rodwell said that the principles that would
lead a man to attempt to demolish a prison "proceeded
from the same cause, and were symptoms of the same
disease " as those which led men to violate churches,
to profane the sanctuaries of God, and disturb the
devotions of congregations." Here the defendant gave a
loud "guffaw," and repeated it so often and so badly that
the rector was obliged to stop and threaten defendant that
if ho did it again he should be obliged to send for a police-
man. This effected an instantaneous cure, and there was
no more " guffawing." He subsequently came up to the
communion rails to take the sacrament. It was not, how.
ever, administered to him. After the service defendant
went into the vestry and wanted to know why he had been
grossly insulted from the pulpit. On his saying that his
name was Langston. Mr. Rodwell declined to speak with
him as he knew he had been behaving unseemly in other
churches. In cross-examination Mr. Rodwell admitted
that the boy who went before him in the procession was
swinging incense, but said he did not know if there was a
cross carried at the head. From other evidence it appeared
that there was a cross carried at the head of the proces-
sion. The defence was that the defendant only coughed
once or twice, but the schcolmaster of St. Matthias proved
that he had acted similarly on several occasions in St.
Matthias, Stoke Newington. The Lord Mayor sentenced
the accused to a month's imprisonment, and to pay the
costs of complainant. Eventually, on being appealed to
for the sake of defendant's wife and children, the appea
being warmly seconded by Mr. Sleigh for Mr. Rodwell,
the Lord Mayor reduced the sentence to a fine of £5, and
£5 os. costs. The defendant then paid the money.