Basingstoke - Salvation Army

God working, Devil raging, sinners trembling and falling into the Fountain; Saints rejoicing. Hallelujah. During the past nine days over 60 have fallen into the Fountain in Basingstoke and the fire has spread into the villages round and scores have been saved. Our place is packed and hundreds have to be turned away.

From, 'The War Cry', November 1880.

There were riots in Basingstoke in the spring of 1881 against the Salvation Army.

(Capt. Fenny.)- Wave after wave of Salvation has been rolling over this Station during the last few days. Sinners are coming to Jesus and our people are going in for purity of heart. On Saturday night, our meeting was really grand. One man said, "A week ago this time, I had swallowed many quarts of beer; now I am saved." On Sunday, ail day was grand. At night a Band of Brothers spoke, and four came out to the Mercy-seat, making eight for the day.

From, 'The War Cry,' page 3, 12th January 1882.

... in our own little Hall, with the sawdust all about us, the glory of God was felt amongst us and both nights the Mercy-seat was full of believers and sinners. Oh! the floods of glory that were felt all over us. This Station is all on fire!

From, 'The War Cry,' page 4, 19th January 1882.

(also, page 3, 16th February 1882)

PERSECUTION

The unenviable notoriety behind the town of Basingstoke gained for itself in the Spring of last year, in connection with The Salvation Army riots, clings to it still, and the disgraceful scenes which were then witnessed in its streets, have been repeated during the last two Sundays.

During the ex-Mayor's term of office, The Army were told by him, that if they would keep inside their building for a few weeks till the excitement had abated, when they came out again they should have police protection. They did so but did not afterwards see the promised protection. On the contrary, the proceedings became so bad, that they only came out occasionally. When they did come out their processions were always interrupted by action of an opposition band of rough music, which came out to annoy them, and rendered their singing impossible. So the open-air work was given up for a time, but on the 12th ult (February), resumed again by order from Headquarters. On the 19th, an organised attack was made upon The Army, the members of which received the most disgraceful treatment. The Captain was singled out and dealt a number of sharp blows. He was then carried to a brook, and the mob tried to put him over a wall into it, but he was rescued by his friends. There were about 500 roughs attacking The Army on this day. Yet the police stood by utterly powerless, and the few men were entirely at the mercy of Persecutors.

Yesterday there was a still greater disturbance, and although none of The Army were seriously hurt, yet at one time the affray promised to be of the most serious character. In the morning The Army met in the Market Place, for the purpose of walking in procession to their Factory, but directly they put in an appearance, they were greeted with groans and hootings, and the mob began hustling them.

It is always noticeable in these affrays how well the roughs seem to be instructed by those who, without doubt, incite them. They scarcely ever strike the objects of their hate, but bunt at them, giving the shoulder to evade the law. No blow is struck as a rule, but they make themselves equally dangerous.

In anticipation of a riot to-day, a force of about thirty extra constables of the Hants County Constabulary had been sent from Winchester and other places, and this force, with the borough men were ready for duty. The Army, after staying a few minutes in the Square commenced to march down Church Street to their factory; just then, the mob made a rush upon them, but the police promptly intercepted them and broke up the procession. Some of the roughs managed to get the Captain down, they rolled him in mud, and would assuredly have trampled him to death. so bitter are they against him, had not about six of the police came to his assistance and beaten off his assailants.

Desperate efforts were made to trip up some of The Army, so as to cause a block, but this the constables succeeded in preventing. They formed a circle round the "Soldiers." and marched back to the factory, the mob following. The roughs appeared quite cowed and surprised at one time, by the firm action of the special county police who did their duty well.

It was known that The Army would attempt to procession again in the afternoon, and shortly before two, the Market Square began to fill with crowds of people, some sympathisers with The Army, others, sightseers, but the greater number deadly opponents. Amongst them were most of the characters, who were conspicuous as the leaders of the riots in March and a degraded villainous lot they looked.

The Mayor, the ex-Mayor, and most of the Magistrates were standing at the Town Hall entrance, and the police force were at hand. 

Just after two, a hooting and a yelling announced that they were coming and the police made efforts to clear the Square of the crown. There were only about thirty of The Army coming towards the Square with the intention of starting thence to their Factory in procession, but the police met them on their way to the Market-place, and prevented them linking together in any way. Consequently, when they had made their way to the Market Place they were distributed amongst the crowd.

In a moment the crowd had increased to vast proportions, and the Square was blocked by more than 2,000 people, who seemed to have mysteriously appeared on the scene.

There being so few of The Army out, and these all scattered about, the mob could not attack them in a body, but, whenever one or two of them were seen, the roughs made a rush at them in a most infuriated and dastardly manner. They seemed maddened to a degree and, could they have had their own way, they would have killed some of the men.Then there was a general melee, blows were struck, fighting was general, and the utmost excitement prevailed. Here again the police acted right well to quell the disturbance and were so firm with some of the roughs that they turned upon the police with the intention, no doubt, of punishing them for such an unwarrantable interference with their Sunday diversions.

It was very evident that this decided action on the part of the police was a new experience with the rowdy.

Notwithstanding the fact that the Magistrates have given orders to the police to protect The Army, the Watch Committee (whose duty it is to maintain the force in its efficiency), without consulting the Magistrates, gave orders to the police not to go anywhere near The Army, but to go on their regular beats, and, if in the course of those journeys they happened to pass their building, to look after them in the ordinary way, but not to go out of their way to give them the special protection, because of the virus of the roughs. It was generally remarked that if the police were to take a firm stand in the town, as the County Police did yesterday, the disturbances would be put down very quickly, but the town constables appear to be prejudiced against The Army, and corrupted to such an extent that they fail to do their duty as public officers, and the mob know it.

Unless the County Police are in the town every Sunday, The Army will be at the tender mercies of the roughs and their tender mercies amount to cruel brutality.

As regards to the issue of the Mayor's proclamation, it places the town in this position - that they are nearer the end of the struggle than they were in March last. The proclamation is issued, and The Army breaks it; but the Magistrates refuse to take it up, and go to the expense of a test case before a higher court. Sir Wm Harcourt when waited upon with regard to the matter, admitted that he did not know under what Act of Parliament the order was issued but the Home Office authorities are no doubt taking this course in the hope that a test case will turn up, and the law will be on the point.

Till then, the position remains unaltered, as the proclamation is broken both by The Army, and by the mob, and the Magistrates are a nonentity. Besides, when any summonses are issued, they do not proceed under the proclamation, but under quite a different statute.

A number of summonses are to be heard on Tuesday arising out of the disturbance on Sunday, the 19th, but out of the small number of Army men, five were summoned and out of the large gang of roughs only two.

The fact is that when the publicans became conscious of what effect The Army work was having on their trade, they began to organise an opposition, and the one end they have in view is to drive them out of the town. Unfortunately during that year the Mayor was a publican, owning three quarters of the public-houses in the town, and who, throughout, has winked at the rowdyism. Consequently, the "baser sort" have had every encouragement to persist in their attacks, and the law has become a terror, not to evil-doers, but to those who would do well, because the mob rules, not the Magistrates.

Even if a new act were passed, prohibiting open-air services, then such men as Mr Barron would break it and suffer imprisonment for the cause of religious liberty. The country would never stand able and respected men being imprisoned for preaching nowadays, and if these may preach in the streets, then The Salvation Army must have the same privileges.

The only way out of the difficulty, then, is to impress upon the authorities the necessity of making a firm stand, and severely punishing the roughs who make cowardly attacks for the mere sake of brutal hatred. When they know that their rioting will assuredly be followed by rigorous punishment, the disturbances will cease, and not till then.

In no other town has the opposition been so protracted, or so determined, and simply because the authorities refrain taking the proper steps to put a stop to it. While making a well-figured show of anxiety to stop the disgraceful proceedings, they wink at the whole affair, and are thoroughly understood.

From, "The War Cry," page 4, 9th March 1882.

(Capt. Fenny) Victory! our hearts have been made to rejoice these last few days for the wonderful way in which God has opened up our path at this little Station. After a few Sundays of such treatment, as I venture to say, The Army never saw before, peace has been proclaimed and yesterday. We had splendid open-air meetings and grand marches, and police very kind, although the streets were so lined with people, that you might have walked upon their heads. Praise God, all was quiet. The worst of it was, our Hall would not hold more than a tenth part of the people, for after the Hall was jammed full, still there was the street full of people, but the police kept moving them like a living moving mass. Oh! what a sight! Who will care for the dying masses and build us a place to put them in, and God will reward them? When we got inside, we had three very blessed meetings, and a number of precious souls came out for the Lord, and thousands heard the Gospel In the open-air. To know what good was done we must wait until the judgment day. Meanwhile, let everybody praise God for the victory at Basingstoke!

From, "The War Cry," page 3, 23rd March 1882.

I do not know where the meetings were.