THE SALVATION ARMY IN SWITZERLAND.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 3326, 29 November 1883, Page 2

THE SALVATION ARMY IN SWITZERLAND.

A letter to the “ Standard,” signed by Josephine E. Butler, says :—“ I was in Geneva yesterday, and accompanied the leaders of the Salvation Army and others to attend the funeral of a young man called Wyssa, the first convert won by these evangelists in Switzerland, who died last week, worn out by his own labors to win souls, and by exposure to hardships during the prolonged prosecutions. Miss Booth was expelled in February last from the Canton of Geneva. She had been given to understand, however, that she could re-enter the Canton for a few hours on the occasion of the death or burial of a friend. I doubted this, and expressed my doubts. A group of friends was assembled in a little garden in front of the house of M. Wyssa, the father, in a quiet neighborhood a little way out of Geneva. The coffin was placed in the centre of the group ; the mothers, sisters, and personal friends of the deceased were there. Prayer was offered, and a hymn was sung. There was perfect tranquility. Presently there was a movement among the mourners, caused by the appearance of the Mayor of Genera, dressed in his insignia of office. He entered the circle and declared this “ reunion of the Salvation Army ” to be dissolved. Mr Clibborn explained : “ Wo are not holding a meeting ; we are about to bury a friend,” to which the Mayor replied, in tones which must have grated harshly on the ears of the weeping mother, “Bury him then!” We then moved on a line from the house to the cemetery, along the country high road. Many Salutisks and friends had collected, so the line of persons following the bearers was now long. At the grave Miss Booth spoke a few words and then prayed. The Mayor, accompanied by the police, again appoared, and stood opposite our group, at the end of the open grave. As soon as the simple ceremony was over, and the younger Wyssa had thrown a handful of earth on the coffin, with the words “Au revoir, my brother,” the Mayor, with his Marshall, came round and arrested Miss Booth and Miss Charlesworth, there, in the presence of the dead, and with the words of gentle and holy pleading which Miss Booth had spoken still ringing in the ears of all. The two ladies, Mr Clibborn, and I were requested to get into a carriage which I myself had engaged with the intention of driving with the two ladies direct to the frontier the moment the ceremony was over, A largo crowd had gathered, all in strong sympathy with the persons arrested. The coachman refused to drive on, imagining he was now ordered to drive us to prison. There was a moment of struggle and conflict, and the Mayor and his Marshall were hustled. The countenance of the former betrayed feelings of anger and distress; he appeared conscious that he was performing an unpopular, perhaps even an unjust act. A few Swiss Saluiistes raised a shout of encouragement for us, and were arrested for doing so. We were driven to the Palais de Justice, where wo were detained several hours, but wore eventually dismissed. The two banished ladies were ordered at once to be convoyed to the frontier, while Mr Clibborn, whose only offence was that of joining in a funeral “ procession”—a thing allowed every day—was warned not to do so again, A crowd awaited us as we left the Palais. The excitement in Geneva was considerable. M. Lenoir (Banker) and M. Pictett, and others, joined us, and wo wont in several carriages, accompanied by the Police Agent, to the frontier. Our exit almost resembled a triumph, so little do the working classes in general sympathise with the persecutors. The violent mobs by whom these gentle and devoted ladies have been stoned, pelted with mud, covered with ink and dirty water, kicked and struck in the face in the streets of Geneva and Neucbatol frequently during the last five months, must not be supposed to represent the real people of Switzerland. They are the hirelings of the Radicale Autoritare party now in power, the representatives of the brute force which for the present has got the upper hand. Our friends of Switzerland have heard the police themselves urging on these bands of roughs to acts of violence ; and in every case they are further instigated by the wealthy traders and patrons of vice iq. the towns.