Los Angeles herald., 1892-01-05
MARTYRS.
RED-sHIRTED SAINTS PROSECUTED
IN ENGLAND.
A Mob's Violent Assault on the Salvation
Army at Eastbourne-Mounted Police
Charge the Crowd-Many Persons
Seriously Injured.

LONDON, Jan. 4.--The troubles be-
tween the Salvation army and the au-
thorities at Eastbourne resulted yester-
day in riot of unusual violence. For
long time there has been open war be-
tween the Salvationists and the police.
The former assert that the Eastbourne
officials have displayed feeling OF re-
ligious intolerance in their treatment
of the army, and so determined are the
members of the Salvation army to main
tain what they deem their judicial
rights, that they propose to introduce q
bill in parliament to repeal or amend
the Eastbourne improvement act under
which the town officials prevent the
Salvationists from holding meetings on
the streets. Yesterday the Eastbourne
contingent of the Salvation army was
divided into four sections, stationed in
different parts of the town. The police
broke up these meetings with some
trouble, but in the afternoon sixty of
the army again sailed from the bar
racks and proceeded to the beach, fol-
lowed by an immense crowd, who
menaced them with all manner of i'll
treatment.
Once upon the beach the Salvation
lists knelt down on the sands in prayer.
AS they did SO, they linked arms, better
to repel the assaults of the irreligious
mob, should the latter take it into their
heads to charge. The mob hooted and
yelled and finally made an ugly rush.
Some of the Salvationists were thrown
to the ground, but immediately resumed
kneeling position and continued pray
ing. Several times the rushing was re-
peated, but the Salvationists paid no at
tention more than was necessary to
avoid being seriously hurt. A number
of police were present and the mob re-
viled them for not dispensing the Saliva
tionists.
As soon as the praying was concluded
the Salvationists rose to their feet. This
seemed the signal for preconcerted at
tack, for the mob Immediately swooped
down upon the devoted band, scattering
them in wild disorder. Many were
struck. kicked and otherwise ill-treated.
The musical instruments used by the
Salvationists seemed especially to excite
the ire of the mob, and the persons
bearing them were singled out for more
than usually brutal treatment. The mob,
got possession of the instruments and
after smashing them, threw them into
the street.
Then detachment OF mounted police
charged the crowd. They made no dis
tinction between men and women. They
rode down upon the crowd, trampling
the rowdies, male and female alike, un-
der the feet of the horses. Many of the
crowd were severely hurt. The Saliva
tionists declare that the police, instead of
protecting them, deliberately struck
them and rode over them. Their clothes
were torn and their hats lost. A num-
| Der of women lost their skirts and jack
cts in the wild rush following the
| charge of the police, their garments be-
| ing torn off them in their desperate
struggle to escape being trampled upon
| by the horses.
During the melee the banner of the
Salvation army fell into the hands of the
enemy. Some of the Salvationists
charged to regain the flag, and fierce
fight ensued. Finally the Salvationists
regained their standard, and under a
rain of blows succeeded in getting away
| from the mob with the flag in their
possession. After some little time the
Salvationists, their clothing bedraggled
and faces showing marks of ill-treat-
ment, rallied around their standard.
They formed in regular lines, and sur
rounded by police, marched back to
their barracks. Despite this protection,
they were not safe from attack, for the
mob several times charged upon them,
and the police were almost powerless te
prevent injuries. being inflicted. Some
OF the more rabid OF the mob got posses
sion of vehicles, and paying no atten.
ton to the police, drove deliberately
into the salvationists' ranks, with this
J object Of running over them.