SMITING THE PHILISTINES.

Thames Star, Volume XV, Issue 4724, 27 February 1884, Page 2

SMITING THE PHILISTINES.

A ratiior good story of the " Salvation Army," reaches us from Melbourne, and as it led to " wailing and smashing of teeth," the victims being aome young larrikins who were interfering with the ser* vice, it will perhaps be relished. The services were held on a vacant piece of land, and nightly numbers of noisy young men assembled to enjoy the fun of jeer^ ing and ridiculing the " capLins," and the devout " soldiery." At last some of these young men, possessed of better feelings, though it a cowardly piece of business, and they decided to have the fellows punished in the way they could best understand. Accordingly they interviewed a certain personage, and he entered willingly into the scheme.. He donned his longest^tailed suit of " sombre black," put his head in a store-pipo bat, bought half a dozen War Cries, and ap^ pered on the camping ground, wearing the most solemn look he could put on. The disguise was complete. Shortly the larrikins seeing a well-dressed respectablelooking man deeply intent on the procaedings, commenced playing their larks. First a pebble struck his tail hat, but the veteran heeded it not. Then another and another, till the larrikins, growing bolder by his humility, under their insults, mored up to " bonnet" him. But the new SaU Tationist was ready. Catching the one nearest to trim-straight in the jaw with the right, his left " grassed " another, and then right and left he raged round, scattering the worldly young men over th« ground like skittles, amidst cries from tlie larrikins as they walked off with accelerate! agility, of "Nit, nit, you fools, it 3 Abe Hieken, the fighting man." Thereafter the " Army " enjoyed peace.