INSANE MAN IN CHURCH.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 258, 30 March 1914, Page 6

INSANE MAN IN CHURCH.

INTRODUCES A CUAMOHIONK. I AX ASTONISH HD VJCAIi. The committnl of an elderly man. to the, Auckland mental hospital'lust week , by two justices ol the. peace resulted ill , a story being told of some extraordinary incidents which occurred recently ) in the Otaika district. It appears that J on a recent Suuduv, when the local I Anglican vicar (the llev. .Mr. i'avclll i proceeded to Otaika Church to conduct J a service, he discovered a man in pos- j session of the building. The latter ! claimed that he was the patron of the church, and he confided the opinion, that brighter services were necessary in order to attract the parishioners, lie explained that he had found it necessary to make n !i}\\- improvements, and he show ed the astonished vicar a gramophone which had been installed in Hie veslrv. with the horn directed into the churi-h through a hole which he had cut in the wall. The sides of the church had been decorated with a number of prints from l illustrated papers. The man proceeded to explain that the singing of the congregation had been unsatisfactory, but he believed thai with the. aid of the gramophone there was little likelihood of further shortcomings in that respect. It was at this stage that the vicar discreetly took his departure. It was ascertained from other residents that the man bad a gun in his possession, and lh.it he bad intimate.: that he would use it on any preacher he disapproved of, or upon any parishioner whose conduct at the church was not up to an exemplary standard. He said he was particularly anxious to shoot i anyone who sung out of tune.'

The vicar lost no time in reporting the matter to the police, who look the unfortunate man into custody. Two medical men had no hesitation in certifying to the unsound state of his |,ijm|.