The Sun.
London, England, 1868-07-29 00:00:00

THE ATHERSTONE CHURCH CASE.

This case, which has caused a good deal of ex-
citement in the Anglican Church, came by letters
of request from the Bishop of 'Worcester, at the
instance of the Rev. Frederic Hartshill Richingsf

M.A.,incumbent of the church and parish of St•
Mary, Atherstone, Warwickshire, who charged
Mr. Edward Cordingley with forcibly entering the
church, accompanied by a concourse of noisy and

disorderly persons, and illegally removing frorn
the communion table a ledge placed thereon, and
with having irreverently broken the same and
caused it to be thrown away and left in the church-
yard ; he was also charged with having on the
same occasion removed from the communion table
the cloth placed thereon, and with removing 06
same, as also two iron sockets, placed as fixtures,

on each side of the church arch, for holding ban-
ners. It appeared from the evidence that on tile
23rd of August last Mr. Cordingley entered the
church by employing a man named Scanlan t°
pick the lock, and was accompanied by a number
of persons. The ledge which was used as the
super-altar was forcibly removed, and throw!'
down and broken, and then thrown into a place
where coals were kept. The altar cloth was also
removed. It was shown that, although Mr. Rich"
ings had refused to give up the keys of the church
to Mr. Cordingley, he had offered him free access
t) the church, and had even waited for him.
Cordingley, too, it was urged, had acted in opposi
lion to the wishes of his co-churchwarden. 011
the other hand, it was contended that Mr. Web"
ings, the promoter of the suit, had acted illegallY
introducing the super-altar and the other decors'
lions into the church without obtaining the Per-
mission of the bishop of the diocese. It was als°
urged that no violence was used ; that Mr. Cord
ingley simply went to the church and removed 01
articles in conformity with a wish expressed at
public meeting of parishioners, whose servant
ll°
was ; and that he was not accompanied by a 11°i7:
or irreverent party, only one person (a Mr.
ton) had kept his hat on during the proceed

ings.
Sir It. Phillimore, in delivering judgment on
Tuesday, said it had been alleged that the °row
ments complained of by the defendant were in t°
church when the bishop held a confirmation there'
That was scarcely sufficient, and whether the
ornaments were legal or not, they ought to ba..e'r
been submitted for the approval of the ordint"i
A. public meeting had been held in consequence °
the introduction of these ornaments, a rneetilia
which was scarcely calculated to promote cllll-0
discussion. At this meeting authority was gil't°,
to the churchwardens to remove the ornanle%)
File vestry did not, it might be supposed, wish, i,t
make the request to one churchwarden indepenne;6
of the other, and it had no legal power to g. of
such authority to both. Even in the ease ne
church rates the vestry could not authorize °cie,
churchwarden to take any legal proceedings ill
pendent of or without the sanction of his _Ac
league. In the present case one churchyrw-d,
had acted independently of the other, and if Via
scenes were allowed—one churchwarden ta'd
one view and the other an opposite view—the /I: to
disgraceful riots would ensue. He was IlaPPJ,ter.
say that the law was very clear upon the lug'
It was a matter of surprise that a churchwe'rtut
should have acted so illegally as in this case ;
Mr. Cordingley had honestly admitted that bet
not a member of any Church, that he was iliO3r9
communion with any Church, and that he It' retr
had a great repugnance to the office of ehtlie of
warden. Under such circumstances, the Pectic°,
A therstone had made a most unfortunate ctbier
The promoter of the suit had withdrawn hisPrf the
chat the court would order the restitution °op,
church, and prayed that Mr. Cordingley sh°ll,
admonished and condemned in the whole a`
e) At
costs. Considering that he (the learned indgirooh
the outset suggested an arrangement, t°
Mr. Cordingley assented, but to which gr' cloo°
ings would. not consent, he should not 011orcior
Mr. Cordingley in the whole of the costs, bittarsOf
him to pay the sum of £lOO nomine exPeizslieel
and admonish him to abstain from such 1
practices in future. IPII
It is understood that the English Chure-%
pays such expenses as fall on Mr. Itiching&:43
the parishioners of Atherstone those of
ngley.

he 1 ---........
S dad,4lll
Au extraordinary scene took place oil 0-0;05,
Queenstown Chapel during the celaration c"cotte;
Just at the elevation a labouring man nan3ed , o'le'cl
rushed from the body of the chapel, 813r3arotnit
the railings, and seized the rev. gentlernatilecl 1°,4.
the body. The greatest consternation prep' paiw
a fow minutes. Au alarm of fire was gi'reiht(fa4°„l:
fainted, the greater portion of the collgr"tie"
rushed to the doors, while some Pel."l3:iie 0
)n the altar and seized Cotter. ll„,„natit/fr
sence of any explanation from Cotter inul°,it Di 0
ran high against him, and, only for his er!,/013ce,.0
policeman who was present, he would ".'"reci P 0
roughly handled. It subsequently transPideitoi°o
the man had acted under the influence of A 4 i
co, .60.
that some awful calamity was about h` lithe prl ~1
t.; 0: the ntir
him, and that if he succeeded in toueuina ,fiv A
naCr „(.-
at this particular part of the mass all da to pry 0
,;e averted. The clergyman Dot wishing a fro
Any charge against Cotter, he was rele3.se
..:ustody.