CHURCH ATTACKED

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 341, 30 September 1932, Page 3

CHURCH ATTACKED

VERGER MOLESTED INPURIATED CROWD WITH CROWBARS, HAMMERS AND CHISELS. BUiILDING LOOTED. Scenes of destruction witli crowbars, hammers, and chisels; the vicar locked in the church; the verger overpowerc by the erowd; the church hell rung for assistance — these were among incidents at St. Hilary Church, Marazion, near Penzance, recently, when represontatives of the Protestant Truth Society smashed articles in the church which have heen cause of controversy lately and which formed the subject of an inquiry hy the Chancellor of the diocese, who ordered their removal. The vicar of the church is the »Rev. N. Bernard Walke, who each Christmas broadcasts a nativity play. At midday two private cars followed hy two charabancs in which were both men and women drew up outside the church. Among them was Mr. J. A. ICensit, who tohi a reporter afterwards that they had gathered their forces at Plymouth to visit the church to remove the articles. "Five of our people, he said, "entered the church as visitors and allowed another party to enter before the verger could prevent them. The vicar entered soon after and we would not allow him to get out," Mr. Kensit added that the Protestant Truth Society was responsible for the removal. "We have given Mr. Walke a good deal of grace. The petitioners were authorised to remove the articles and ornaments specifiied in the schedule out of the church and to remove and empty the font. We hoped against hope that Mr. Walke would remove the articles himself, but he refused to do so. Afterward we had a service in which I said, "We are here to vindieate the law. We are hene to do what was done in Iingland in Roformation days." While Mr. Kensit was giving this interview the Rev. Nicolo Bernard ' Walke came up to him, and there was a heated eonversation. Later the articles removed from the church were loaded on motor-lorries. During the proceedings a woman parishioner threw a pieee of turf at Mr. Kensit. Mr. II. R. Ilopes, the people's warden, in an interview, said he was in the church when a clorgyman and a young man and two ladies applied for. admission. The church had heen loclced, but lie let them in because one of the men was dressed in elerical attire. They were admiring everything when there was a knoclc at the. door. He oponed the door, and a crowd of people rushed into the church and began smashing up articles with erowbars, chisels and hammers. Mr. Norman Peters, the hellringer, said he rang the church bell for assistance, hut was overpowered and the rope was taken from him.