DISTURBING SALVATIONISTS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 6, Issue 1688, 17 May 1884, Page 4

DISTURBING SALVATIONISTS.

Sattuel Freeman was charged at Wandsworth with being drunk, disturbing a religions congregation, and assaulting Mr Frederick Townsend, a rotired Naval officer.-Edward Brown, " Captain" of the Salvation Army, produced a certificate licensing the Old Baptist Chapel, Waterside, Wandsworth, for religious worship, and said that on Sunday afternoon they came in from the march, and had commenced the service, when he saw the prisoner sitting on the front seat wearing his hat. He asked him to take it off; but he made no answer. He then stepped off the platform, and again asked him to take off his hat, as he was in a place of worship. The prisoner, refused, and used bad language. Witness stepped back on to the platform, thinking to let him alone if he remained quietly. Ho got up, however, and disturbed the meeting. He said he did not care for them, and should not take off his hat. —Mr Townsend,. who wore the uniform of tho Salvation Army, said he was at the afternoon " free and easy," and saw tho prisoner wearing Lis hat. He first askod him to remove Lis hat, but as he did not he took it off. He then jumped up and struck him " one, two" on the left side of his face—Mr Sheil: How did you get rid of him? —Witness: I sat down quietly., The Lord says, " If you are struck on the left, turn tho right." I did "hot Lit him back.-The prisoner: What i 3 the meaning of the term " free and easy 1" —Mr Sheil interposed, and said it was qf no use to ask such questions. What business had he to keep his hat on 1 - The prisoner admitted that ho was drunk, and said piobably he wont to the meeting through curiosity.—Mr Sheil said the prisoner should _ keep away from the services if he did not agree with them. He fined him 20s, with tho alternative of 14 days' imprisonment for the assault.