The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-02-19
A T,unatic in p PulDit.

A correspondent of the London Daily
News writes to that journal January 20:
On Sunday morning the service at the
Irvngite Cathedral, at Albury, near
Gaiidford-a building which was ere cted
at cost of ESQ, 600 by the late Mr..
Henry DrummOpd-was interrupted in
a somewhat alarming manner. The
services had prose- led to the reading
of the prayers, when Capt. Symes, a
member of the congregation, was OBJ
served to leave his seat. He at once
assembled the stairs and entered the
pull pit. Closing the door, he stretched
forth his hands and addressed the con
giegstio1. He said be was commits
stoned by God to deliver a message,
which would not be heard with favor.
At this juncture several of the church
officials rushed up the pulpit stairs,
and begged the alIant captain to desist.
The request was met by the captain
drawing a sword from a sheath, which
was concealed under his coat, and,
waving il above his head, he said that,
if any person interfeTed with him IN
the delivery of his message, he would
ran him through to the heart. A pre-
cipt3tz retreat was made by the officials,
and in the meantime Capt. Symes pro-
ceeded to address the congregation,
warning them that perdi&ion was their
fate if they continued in their present
faith. Mr.. Armstrong, barrister at law,
an il innate friend of Capt. Symes, left
his seat, and, running up the pulpit
stairs, begged him to come down. The
captain raised his sword, and, strik-
ing Mr.. Armstrong across the hand,
nearly cut off one of his fingers. The
alarm caused by this extraordinary con-
duct was very great. The ladies of the
congregation screamed, and many of
them tainted. The male portion of the
congregation left their seats, and, as
sembl1ng in knots in the aisles of the
church, called so Capt. Symes to come
down. One gentleman, undeterred by
the injdry inflicted on Mr.. Armstrong,
assembled the pulpit stairs to expostu-
late with the captain. The only reply
he received was the presentation at his
head of loaded revolver. Hearing the
"click" of the weapon, he slid down
the stairs on his back and hid behind
the staircase. During this scene the
duke and duchess of Northumberland,
who are regular attendants of the
church, left their seats. The duchess
tainted, and was carried from the church
by her attendants. Capt. Symes had
nov full possession of the pulpit, and,
striking the sword on the Bible, he
proeee dad in a loud tone to deliver
what he termed his message, amidst
the screaming of the females and vocif-
eroDs calls to "come down of the
males. The officials of the church had
by this time armed themselves with
long POLES, and with these they went
into the pulpit, and after q tremendous
scufis, succeeded in knocking the sword
and revolver out of the hands of the
captain. They then laid hold OF him
and dragged him downthe pulpit stairs.
As the captain violently resisted, a rope
was procured, and with it was bound
hand and foot, and tied to one Of the
pillars of the building. He was subse-
quentiy given in charge to the police,
and on the following day was brought
before magistrate. On the certificates
of two surgeons he was removed to
lunatic asylum.