DISTURBANCE IN ST. PAUL'S.
At the Mansion House a young man, Charles Beere, saddler, of South-Street, Greeenwich, surrendered to his bail on a charge of having created a disturbance in St. Paul's Cathedral daring ' the early Communion service on Good Friday morning. Whilst the Dean was reading the prayer for the Church militant, Beere went to the holy table and swept all the Communion. ■ vessels ■ off it. Mr. Howard produced a ■ certificate from ' Dr. Johnson, of Saville Row, to the effect that the man's . mental balance had become unhinged from religions excitement, and that a change of scene was necessary. Mr. Lee asked for a conviction. The plea of insanity was always being put forward in these cases. The defendant had not shows any signs of it. Sir Thomas Owden observed. thai; if the defendant were recommended to mercy they might adopt it. Mr. Lee said he was not instructed to do that, but to impress upon the Court the necessity of something being done to prevent fanatics ■ from offending in future. He had to ask, therefore, that the defendant should be sentenced to some term of imprisonment, in order that other persons who were sufficiently sane to know what they were doing, might receive a warning in time. The prisoner here exclaimed, "I still maintain that my act was a righteous one, although it was out of season. It may have been an error of judgment, and I am sorry for it." Mr. Howard hoped that the Dean would ask for mercy to be shown the defendant. Sir Thomas Owden said that disturbances in St. Paul's must be put a stop to. The prisoner : Just consider my excitement, sir. Sir T. Owden : I cannot tell what your excitemnt might have been. You are committed for a month.
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New Zealand Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7353, 13 June 1885, Page 2 (Supplement)
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298DISTURBANCE IN ST. PAUL'S. New Zealand Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7353, 13 June 1885, Page 2 (Supplement)
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