The Sun.
London, England, 1826-09-28 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

MANSIGN-HOUSE.—CHitivriest - EVIDENCE SOCIETY.--
Yesterday the Justice Room • and the avenues leading to it were
crowded, in consequence of the interest excited by a complaint
which Mr. Cope, the City Marshal,...had to make. against' some
of the members of the Christian Evidence Society, which meet at
Founders' Hill Chapel, in Lothbury, to discuss the subject matter
of the New Testament. This Society has .been established by a
Mr. Taylor, who cuts a very extraordinary figure in the streets
of London, being seen constantly parading the most public places,
with a reverend hat, and a glass suspended from his neck by a
broad blue riband. lie has had meetings in various parts of the
town, but the proprietors of the houses where the Society used to
assemble bad very few trials of its respectability, before they made
the most determined efforts to get rid of it altogether. At last
Mr. Taylor got hold of the present spot for its meetings, to the
great terror and annoyance of the inhabitants of Lothbury. The
Lord Mayor has received a great many communications from his
fellow citizens, complaining of the disgraceful conduct of those
who attended the Society on the nights of meeting, and request-
ing his interference to put a stop to the proceedings. His Lord-
' ship, however, for obvious reasons, refused to attend to this re-
quest ; but he directed that the Police would keep an eye upon the
Society, in order to ' prevent breaches of the peace, to commit
which come of the members were extremely well inclined.

Two young men, named Freeman and Godwin, disciples of Mr.
Taylor, who regularly daps a " Reverend" before his name, were
now brought before his Lordship ; the first charged with having
assaulted Mr. Cope in the execution of his duty, and the second
with having endeavoured to rescue the assailant.

Mr. Cops stated, that on the previous evening a great riot took
place at the Chapel, and be attended for the purpose of restoring
peace. The Rev. Mr. Taylor was speaking, and there Were
several other persons at the same sort of employment. 'The
greatest confusion imaginable arose, in consequence of what fell
front the speakers, and there were upwards of a dozen at a time
fighting about tl►e platform, where the principle speakers were as-
sembled., Witness immediately went amongst them, and said he
was an officer; that such conduct could not be allowed, and that
they must desist. He observed Freeman particularly active, took
hold of him, and said he must come away. Freeman, however,
instantly collared hint—a scuffle ensued, and witness fell under the
seat, where he was repeatedly struck. He lust bis hat, and his
clothes were almost torn from his back. About twenty people
got round him the moment he took hold of Freeman, and Godwin
was amongst those who rescued that person from his custody. By
the assistance of an officer, however, the two were apprehended.—
The scene was one' of very great violence.

George Goodge, a city patrol, confirmed this account. He
succeeded iu getting hold of Freeman after the rescue, and he held
him fast.

Cowton, the officer, stated that he was in the room whil4 the
disturbance was going forward. He saw a sword drawn from a
stick by a short man, with red hair, who had been speaking on
the subject of the " Resurrection." He saw Mr. Cope in the
midst of the disturbers, and upon running to his assistance, he
found the man with the sword was gone. There seemed to be a
great deal of activity in a person who was running up every now
and then to the Chairman, who stood in the pulpit, with written
communications. This person seemed to be doing all he could to
secure the person who had the drawn sword in his hand.

A Solicitor, the master of Godwin, told the Lord Mayor that
he believed the identity of his clerk was doubted.
Mr. Cope—Not in the least ; I have a perfect recollection 01

Freeman—My Lord, the facts is this—yesteday hevening I
attended the Christian Hevidence Society ; and, my Lord,
there were two sitting in the same box (pew) hissing as hard as
they could. I told them if they were dissatisfied, they would
have an opportunity of answering, but to be quiet. One of
them was a gentleman what sent a letter to the. Heditor of The
Republican against Ministers and Christianity, and he got up at
this here Meeting to attack Mr. Taylor, which was the very worst
_ _

of hypocrisy. I said,he was a most infernal ypocrite to attempt
to defend what he had written against in The Republican
for Mr. Carlile; and he said I deserved to be knocked
over head. I did'nt like to be bullied, and I told hiM to do
it--•so he drew his sword, saying that he had a sword to defend
himself. There was then some scuffle. I did all I could to get

the sword out of the hand of the person who drew it upon me,
but I declare moot positively that I never struck the Marshal, nor
any body else.
The LORD MAYOII..-.4 suppose the arguments caused a great
deal of clamour.
Freeman—There WAS a great deal of approbation and disap-
probation.
The LORD Ma' n—T suppose, Sir, that you ate a Deist?
Freeman—l don't pretend to understand any thing, about the

subject.
Godwin--I went in to hear what was going on in company
with my cousin, and I saw the man draw the sword ; I did not
get into the row, for I said I'd indict him under Lord Ellen-
borough's Act—(a laugh.)
The LORD MAYOR—Aye, that was because you are a lawyer?
Freeman—We acted only in our own defence. .The sword cane
was brandished over our heeds.

Mr. Cope—l had no chance with such a multitude. When
they got me down, some of them were &knocking me about the
head, while others were pulling me by the )egs.
Godwin—We merely attended to see what MIA going on.
We bad no idea of a row, until we heard the shrieks of the
women, and saw the gentleman with the sword, who is an op-
ponent of Mr. Taylor ; be professes Christianity, and he carries a
sword to show it. -

The LORD MAYOR (to Godwin's master)—ls this the way in
which you Complete the education of your clerk, by allowing hiM
to go to placei of this description ?
Solicitor—No; I deprecate meetings of the kind as most in-
famous, and I knew nothing of his going there.
The LORD MAYOR (to the defendants)—Are you of the
Committee ?—Freemen—No, my Lord ; 1 /wnly went in for
the third time. lam certainly acquainted with. the Rev. Mr.
Taylor.

The LORD MAYOR,-.4 have bad repeated applications made
to me to put a stop to the proceedings of this Society, upon the
ground that they were always opposed to Christianity ; but I
have always refused from the belief that contempt would bring
all attempts of the kind to their proper level. .1 have no doubt
of the insanity of Taylor, but madmen of his description will
always find crack-brained followers. I only regret that the youth-
ful may be misled by such a description of persons. Chris-
tianity has nothing to fear, from such objects. It has tri-
umphed amidst the most desperate opposition, and under the
►oost disheartening circumstances, and can suffer nothing in the
bands of such men as were now ranged at the bar---(A laugh.)—
(To the defendants)---You must Lind bail, however, fur the as-
sault and rescue.

The Sister to one of the defendants--Nobody, my Lord, cau
say, that my brother was clamorous. fie applauded Mr. Tay-
lor, but the question was one that was as immaterial to him as
to me.

The LORD MAYon--Oh, then, you consider the question of no
importance talon. Are there any of the Society here who would
wish to say any thing ?
John Henderson, a baker, of Deptford :--I was present, my
Lord Mayor, when the uproar was a going forward ; and when
Mr. Taylor exposed the argumentation of the individual, and
censured the letter which the individual wrote to the Heditorof

The Republican, he drew a fleaped up to get at the
sword ; that was the cause of the disturbance, and we all did
what we could to put au end to it.
The Loan MAYOK—It never occured to you that this indi-
viduarwith the drawn sword was one of the Dramatis. Pereonte.
Without opposition, the performance would hive been nothing.
Oh, you are just what I expected you were—a sad set altogether.
The Solicitor—The object ofthievtle gone etiiigtitlves:;hibiluitlylsttbni
censur-
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and my clerk ought not to ia
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Morning, and make the most hideout uproar. The inhabitants
ought to indict the house as a nuisance.
A person in the Justice-room—l assure you, my
,Lord, that the
blaspernles of taylor cause all this disturbance ; it la ituposaible to
bear them with patience,
The I,OIP MAYOR7-Every one must feel disgust ; but that
Taylor is mad, 1 have us doubt iu the world.