EXTRAORDINARY SCENE IN A CHURCH.

Globe, Volume III, Issue 239, 16 March 1875, Page 3

EXTRAORDINARY SCENE IN A CHURCH.

A correspondent writes : —“ On Sunday morning the service at the Irvingite Cathedral, at Albury, near Guildford —a building which was erected at a cost of £60,000, by the late Mr Henry Drummond —was interrupted in a somewhat alarming manner. The service had proceeded to the reading of the prayers, when Captain Symes, a member of the congreation, was observed to leave his seat. He at once ascended the stairs and entered the pulpit. Closing the door, he stretched forth his hands and addressed the congregation. He said he was commissioned by God to deliver a message, which would not be heard with favour. At this juncture several of the church officials rushed up the pulpit stairs and begged the gallant captain to desist. The request was met by the captain drawing a sword from a sheath, which was concealed under his coat, and, waving it over his head, he said that if any person interfered with him in the delivery of his message, he would run him through to the heart. A precipitate retreat was made by the officials, and in the meantime Captain Symes proceeded to address the congregation, warning them that it was his duty to tell them that perdition was their fate if they continued in their present faith. Mr Armstrong, a barrister-at-law, and an intimate friend of Captain Symes, left his seat, and running up the pulpit stairs, begged him to come down. The captain raised his sword, and, striking Mr Armstrong across the hand, nearly cut off one of his lingers. The alarm caused by this extraordinary conduct was very great. The ladies of the congregation screamed, and many of them fainted. The male portion of the congregation left their seats, and assembling in knots in the ailes of the church, called to Captain Symes to come down. One gentleman, undeterred by the injury inflicted on Mr Armstrong, ascended the pulpit stairs to expostulate with the captain. The only reply he received was the presentation at his head of a 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 fainted, and was carried from the church by her attendants. Captain Symes had now full possession of the pulpit, and, striking the sword on the Bible, he proceeded in a loud tone to deliver what he termed his message, amidst the screaming of the females and vociferous 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 to the pulpit, and. after a tremendous scuffle, succeeded in knocking the sword and revolver out of the hands of the captain. They then laid hold of him, and dragged him down the pulpit stairs. As the captain violently resisted, a rope was procured, and with it he was bound hand and foot, and tied to one of the pillars of building. He was subsequently given in charge to the police, and on the following day was brought before a magistrate. On the certificates of two surgeons he was removed to a lunatic asylum.