The Sun. — 1860-03-05 (London, England)

POLICE INTELLIGENCE-(THIS DRY.)  TUE RELIGIOUS DISSENSIONS IN ST. GEORGE'S •I\THE-EAST.—This morning a large nnmber of the parishioners of St. George's-in-the-East, headed by Mr. Joseph Smith, solicitor, of Arbour-street East, Stepney, attended the court for the purpose ofapplying for summonses against the Rev. Bryan King, rector of St. George ; the Rev. Thos. Dove, assistant curate; Barton Hatfield, son of a winemerchant, and one of Bryan King's choristers ; Albert Edward Coleman, 57, St. George-street ; and Edward Adams, 55, Montague-square, for assaults. Much excitement prevailed, and there appeared to be a strong feeling of indignation against the rector aid his friends. Mr. Smith detailed the circumstances which led to the assaults upon his clients yesterday afternoon in the parish, when the Rev. Bryan King and his friends ejected the parishioners from the choristers seats and other parts of the church between the afternoon and evening service, and acted with great violence. Mr. Thomas Herbert, scalemaker, who is a vestryman and constable of St. George's-in-the• East, said he was sent for to suppress the dishirbance in the church, and was informed the rector and his friends were ill-using the parishioners, and that murder would be done unless ho interfered. In attempting to gain admission he was assaulted by Burton Stutfield. and Edward Adams. He was afterwards assaulted by Thomas Dove, the as • sistant, who jammed his leg between !the vestry door and door-post, and, in spite of his cries and entreaties, kept it there some time. He was very lame, and was unable to walk to the court. Richard James Selby, Mr. Thomas Newson, a clerk, No. 89, Cannon-street, St. George's, and other parishioners deposed to violent assaults committed upon them by Mr. King, Mr. Adams, and Mr. Coleman. Mr. Smith said that many police constables who were in the church saw the violence of Bryan King, Thos. Dove, and their associates, and would have taken the rev. gentleman and their friends iato custody if the persons assaulted had given them in charge. He complained of Bryan King bringing fighting men like Adams from the West-end to assault the parishioners, and force his obnoxious practices on the rate-payers of St. George's. Mr. Yardley thought it best not to use any harsh language or to say any thing that might tend to exasperation on one side or the other. Professional men, above all others, ought not to have their feelings marked. If the rector in the exercise of what he considered to be his right, and believing that the church was his freehold, ejected certain parttes from the church who he thought had no right to be there, using no more force than was absolutely necessary, it was a case in which neither he nor his colleague would have any jurisdiction. Mr. Smith said that if the rector had the right to eject the parishioners from the church, and he denied that he had that right, there was a great excuse on the part of the reotor and his friends.  Mr. Yardley—ln that case the magistrates would have jurisdiction.  U ltimately summonses were granted against Messrs. King, Dove, Adams, Statfield, and Coleman, for assaulting Mr. Hubert, Mr. Newsom, and Mr. Selby ; other summonses were applied for by other parishioners, but Mr. Yardley thought he had already granted enough to try the question, and recommended the complainants to attend as witnesses when the summonses were heard. He was afraid the Monday's amusements in the Thames Police Court were too cheap for the dissentients in St. George's. He wished Mr. Smith would take both parties in the unfortunate parish of St. George's to the superior courts. A good dose of litigation, expensive litigation, would do much good. if the discontents on both sides could be taken into the Court of Queen's Bench, the Consistory Court, and the Court of Chancery all at once, it would do them a great service. It would be like a copious bleeding, lancing, bleeding by leeches, and cupping all at once. (Laughter.) The night charges were then proceeded with. At the time our reporter" despatched his messenger another batch of discontented parishioners were entering the court for the purpose of complaining of rector, curate, and choristers, who, according to the statements made by the police, were m•st violent in their behaviour yesterday afternoon.