The North-Eastern Weekly Gazette. — 1883-06-23 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

THREATENING TO MURDER THE  BISHOP OF NORWICH. AN EXTRAORDINARY LETTER. A charge of threatening to murder the Bishop of Norwich and to destroy his palace and Norwich Cathedral was preferred on Tuesday at the Norwich Police Court against Joseph Betts, commission agent, of Northumberland-street, Norwich. The Town Clerk prosecuted. A letter, dated Sth June, addressed to the Right Rev. the Lord Bishop of Norwich, was read. It was a long one, and was signed, "An Invincible." The writer said that having recently been appointed chief agent to a secret society in Norwich, having for its object the equalization of property and the distribution of the land of the United Kingdom to those who labour. His I directions were, first to write to himas spiritual chief in-this division of the Kingdom that the wage-earning class fully recognised he was receiving £5,000 annually for work that could be done at a salary of ZEM, while poor curates were doing more practical work for 30s per week, and that if be were not prepared to resign his position of Bishop, or be content with £5OO a year, and cause a declaration to that effect to appear in the newspapers, be muat prepare to meet an early death at the bands of those whose existence trilhis world was blighted by the drain upon their resources by himand others of his profession. Taking into consideration that France was the social model of European nations, it was widely felt in England to be necessary that such as he and others who were making literally hell upon earth should be swept off the face of the earth, so that the essence of the true Gospel may be preached, practised, and felt by all. The object of the society, too, was practically to sympathise with any cause tending to create war between this country and France, that the great internal blessings that country enjoyed may be given to this country and Ireland After comparing the proportion of population engaged on the soil in France and England, the writer said, "Before five years are added this country will have been invaded and conquered by France and we shall have a Repablican Government and our colonies, including India, will have been severed from us." The writer concluded—"lf you are prepared to give up your state benefice and to winl the popularity of the people, and to preach the true gospel—namely, heaven on earth—begun to our bodies as well as our souls—it will be the better for you, and you will enjoy a long life among your fellow countrymen, but on the other hand . if the conditions of this letter are not complied with, that you distribute your great worldly wealth to your poor brethren as an example to others of your clique, and the moneyed class generally, in less than Rix months your palace will have been demolished, together with your cathedrals, and your life and these of your dearest relatives will be forfeited to the roe/ of the awakened and • oppressed-poor."—The Bishop of Norwich stated- that be received the letter on his return home on the 17th of June. The letter was handed over to Chief Constable Hutchman, who after making enquiries directed the apprehension of prisoner, at whose house letters were found whose writing corresponded with that of the threatening epistle.— The prisoner was remanded.