The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1881-10-01 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

THE SALVATION ARMY AGAIN.  The other day, at the Birmingham Police-court, Francis Griffiths, a glass cutter, was charged with assaulting his wife. The prosecutrix stated that about 9.30 on Saturday morning • the prisoner came downstairs and threatened to kill her. He had got his belt in his hand, and he commenced brutally assaulting her with the buckle, striking her on various parts of the body and on the back of the head. She was partly undressed, and she could not escape in consequence of the door being locked. He struck her with the buckle so violently on the finger that her ring was cut through. She afterwards attempted to wash h4tself, but he would not allow her to df so, and again assavlted her. She also stated that he never brought home any money, and always demanded the wages of her two sons, and if possible prevented her from earning a living. A witness named Sarah Barber stated that she heard screams of " murder " on Sunday morning, and upon going to the resisidence of the prisoner found the prosecutrix sitting in a chair in an almost insensible condition. The door had been burst open by some of the neighbours who heard the screams of the woman, and the prisoner was forced to run upstairs. It was stated by a police-constable that when he went to the house the woman was partly insensible. The prisoner was a member of the Salvation Army, and was "converted" only a fortnight ago. Since that time he has spoken at their meetings. The prisoner said he was compelled to keep the money and provide for the house himself, as when he gave his wife his wages she spent them in drink. He was a total abstainer, and trying to dol his best, but his wife annoyed him because he belonged to the Salvation Army. A neighbour of the prisoner denied the statement he had made in reference to his wife, and stated that she was a very respectable and industrious woman. The prisoner was always getting drunk, and if it was not for the neighbours the prosecutris would have almost starved. He (witness) joined the Salvation Army to try to become converted a fortnight ago, and he heard the prisoner speaking at the chapel (Laughter.) Mr. Timmins said it was a most brutal assault upon a wife without the slightest provocation, and the prisoner would be sent to gaol for four months, with hard labour. Such is the commonplace report which has appeared in the papers of a really tragic case. Does it not suggest that sensational religion is to be deprecated? Certainly, the way in which many of the professed converts of the Salvation Army act is not at all flattering to the enthusiasts who lead the soldiers. While writing on this subject we may say that we have this week received the following letter. We print it as it is written, and leave our readers to draw their own moral from it: Salvation Army of Christ Craven Rooms Birkenhead Sir Sept 29th 81 Seeing in your paper of Saturday last that there are two detachments of the Salvation Army in Birkenhead we beg for to say that the detachment holding their meetings in the Craven Rooms, is called the Salvation Army of Christ haveing and overlooking to him as our general and our great Comancler our reports are to be had by comeing to our meeting when each one speaks for him or her self we may state that the meetings started by two fall privates of the Salvation Army under general Booth from the detachment at Liver- I pool and our prayers are united to gather that the Lord will bless his own work if in the army or church chaple or streets god bless all who are doing his work faithfully and ever looking to him for a blessing on the work  P.S. our motto in the Craven Rooms and our minds are ever fluted on Christ and we try for to do all for his Glory and our password is Love one another has Christ loved us.—l remain your  A