A PULPIT INTRUDER.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 127, 21 February 1908, Page 10

A PULPIT INTRUDER.

j-uo service : ,ai mo iviancnesier uatnearaf was interrupted in .a. dramatic manner recently, when a large congregation witnessed , tho unseemly spectacle of a violent struggle in the pulpit between tho church officers and an intruder who, after , ascending the steps,'commenced to! speak "in'the name of ' God." ' • ~ Tho opening hymn, ."Christians, awake," had'just been . sung ;and . the first portion .. of the service was being recited, when a man occupying; one .of tho front/seats' rose and-, with consummate coolness entered the pulpit. Ho was Mr. Stewart Gray, the leader of the "Back .to tho Land" ~ movement in Manchester, and until recently the superintend- . . ent of tho municipal- farm colony, at Chat Moss. '■ ■■ • • .. V■■■ A tall, gaunt man, with raven lccks which '• fell in profusion over ..his forehead, 'and wearing a coarse brown suit, Mr. Gr.ay 1 , made a. remarkable -figure in the pulpit. , With , amazement tho congregation beheld his •. actions! - -y Holding hss sombrero . , ; in his left- hand he raised his right arm higlj: abovo , his head as \if ; to command silence while he spoke;., and; ;t-hen turning' to '.-the .-clergy; and the choir Iheobegan.ltO; .utter . what he .do-; . scribed as a protest, v ' : . ■ Mr. Gray was understood to say .that-ho protested against the holding of-a servioe to : commemorate tho birth of •- a -Redeemer when there were so, many poor people, and. so ;much poverty;in;:the v country.!. -The voices of tho clergy and;choir ceased; - The dean '(Bishop ,• Welldon). was .observed-:-to', .-motion to Mr. , Higginbotham,' tho/senior. warden, and .in 3- ■ few ,-scconds. Mr'.-' Gray' was struggling; with.. half-a-dozen church officers in tho pulpit.. He repeatedly, released himself from their grasp, .calling- out "I address you in- the namo of-God,'-r "I am speaking God's !word," .and "It is blasphemy." , Seizing him firmly, -but without using ,unnecessary 1 force, the churchwardens removed 'Mr. Gray from' the pulpit,'"the "'intruder rejpeatedly remarking; "It . is. blasphemy." ... Once down tho pulpit steps the'church officers quickly marched him across the side of tho-.cathedral-to the;Derby;,ChapeKentranco, , where;ho,was ejected.'* i ■'.-v. ; ' ;;'■ -- The police were : called,.but it was'decided ■ •not to give Mr. Gray into custody!' ;-He was greatly; : agitated, and wished .to enter ' the ! cathedral ; again, but acting- on;'-the instructions received from Mr. Higginbotham, the - police-refused to allow him,> : and 'finally • - .escorted him to .the.- street; '-.as well as a ; colleague !who had . joined him. after 'liis ejection.; : ' J --- : Aften.-the .incident v Mr. 'Higginbotham informed Mr.' Gray/that had ho told himhe wished to'-make-a protest' ho'could probably.have arranged with the'dean for-him to '< have done so; at the proper time in the body of tho cathedral; Mr; Gray replicd'that ho - had made his protest in'-the only way open to him, and. in the least irreverent form. Tho '• dean made no -reference to the incident in'hia sermon. .; - ■