Arbroath - Salvation Army

From the Arbroath Guide, 28th January

The detachment of The Salvation Army who made their first appearance in Arbroath last week, and whose visit was the occasion of some riotous proceedings in John Street; have continued their meetings In John Street Hall during the present week. The extra force, including Major Edmonds and Captain Wilson having left on their return to their respective Stations: the former to Glasgow, and the latter to Aberdeen. The work in Arbroath has been carried on by Officers who had been specially appointed to this Station  -Captain Tomlins and Lieutenant Toppin- They held no fewer than four meetings on Sunday last, one of them as early as seven o'clock in the morning: another in the forenoon; and the others later in the day. At the afternoon and evening meetings, the Hall was densely crowded, In the evening, John Street was also crowded, but the police succeeded In keeping complete order. Inside the Hall, however, the Salvationists had to submit to some interruptions from a section of the audience.

Compared with what happened on Tuesday evening, even the noisiest of the Sudday meetings passed off quietly, On Tuesday evening, the Hall was again densely crowded and, owing to its having filled so rapidly, the service began half-an-hour earlier than usual. The street door was locked so as to prevent too much crowding. As usual, a couple of policemen were outside, but their active interference was not reguired, The people who collected there were quite orderly, and after it was seen that there was no prospect of getting into the Hall, only a few persons hung about the door. The platform, or stage of the Hall was occupied by Captain Tomlins and Lieutenant Toppin, and belind them there were about a score of persons of both sexes, nearly all young, who were understood to be "converts," or "the saved." The front part of the area of the Hall appeared chiefly in possession of the "saved," but behind them, and in the gallery, there were many lads whom the speakers felt justilied in addressing as persons who mght be "dead and dammed" by tomorrow morning, and who, in fact, were taking anything but a solemn view of their position and surroundings for the time being.

The proceedings began with the singing of hymns. The Lieutenant prayed with his remarkable energy and was assisted in this exercise by one or two of the converts. The prayers did not pass without some Interruptions from the audience. The Captain afterwards read trom the Gospel of St John, the story of the raising of Lazarus from the dead, aad commented upon the passage for about a quarter of an hour with great volubility, and, all through, at about the full pitch of his voice, He showed much earnestness, which seems a characteristic of all the Services, and there was little or no interruption while he was speaking. Afterwards a collection was taken. It appeared to yield nothing more than a scanty lot of coppers, but Captain Tomlins thought it necessary to explain to the audience, in effect, the Salvationists were not making themselves rich. He said that he had twenty-net shillings a week, and his brother, the Lieutenant, eighteen shillings, but they got these wages only if the money was got, They had the Hall rent and other expenses to pay. Many a time he had not known where the next morsel to be put into his mouth was to come from, but the Lord had always provided for him.

Tha Captain then stated that some of their brothers and sisters on the stage would state what the Lord had done for them. Before this was done however a hymn was sung, and the lads in the gallery, with a number in the back part of the area of the Hall, took up the chorus, and repeated it about a dozen times, amidst a scene of considerable uproar, the Salvation Officers trying to restore orders, but for a long time without effect. At length, both of them were allowed to speak one after the other. The Captain, who it will be remembered, was in somewhat delicate health from an accidental squeeze he got in the crowd Iast week, following on a more serious injury which he had in England, told the audlence that they did not know what he was suffering, and that it was love for them that led him to stand on that platform.

The Lieutenant's address, which was listened to with some impatience; took the form of an urgent call to repentance. Ultimately, three young women, a lad, and a boy, who were among those sitting on the platform, presented themselves to the audience as being among the saved. They did so in compliance with a general call by the Captain to the whole body of the converts, and in accordance with a regulation of The Army, that persons who feel that they are saved should publicly profess their Salvation.,

Facing the Foe.

The conduct of a section of the audience made this a painful part of the proceedings. The converts as they stood up, one after the other, were recognised by some acquaintances in the audience, called at by name. And the statement they made as to their conversion and spiritual experiences were received with jeers and laughter. One of the young women, who stated that she had been converted six years, but had never before so felt the influence of the Spirit, made an earnest, but apparently fruitless, appeal to the young men among the audience to get converted too. It is fair to the audience to say that they received the statements of the young women with more toleration than those of the lad referred to. He poor fellow, did not seem as if he had lived long enough to have led anything like a wicked life, but he decared that he felt so happy since he was converted - and he really looked well pleased - that he would not go back to his old life for all the world. It was bis intention to be a Salvation Soldier, and do what good he could. But he spoke to a very unsympathetic audience. As to the young boy, possibly he was an instance of what Scripture says about the perfecting of praise out of the mouths of babes and sucklings, but certainly what he stated -and which was not very audible- was not received in that spirit by a majority of the audience, The laughter and uproar which was as an accompaniment to the statements of the confessors made the whole scene exceedingly painful. Otherwise, it possessed a certain interest. It was undoubtedly a manifestation of power of some sort, that Scotch lasses and these boys got up, and in the face of a jeering mob, to speak, of all subjects, on their personal experience of religion, and publicly to pray, as some of them did.

After the statements of the converts had been made, a hymn,

"Were bound for the land of the pure and the holy" was given out, and it was intimated that, it being now about nine o'clock-and the meeting having been opened at half-past seven o'clock- it would be then closed, and a prayer-meeting with inquirers would afterwards be held. But once more the hymn afforded opportunity for obstruction on the part of the audience, who were evidently regarding the whole affair as a good joke. The refrain,

"We will go, we will go, we will go, we will go—

Oh, yes, we will go to the Eden above",

was sung interminably, the audience, who ought to have been dlspersing, retaining their places. Wild disorder prevailed in the room, some people getting up from their seats, a few others attempting to ascend the platform, and being repulsed therefrom -some of them- by its occupants, with the assumption that they were not saved.

Captain carried out.

Amidst this extraordinary and exciting scene, Captain Tomlins sprang from the platforms and rushed to the door, to assist in getting the people to leave. He had not been long engaged in this work when the poor fellow utterly broke down. He had certainly been exerting himself, in speaking, beyond his strength during the evening, and seemingly despairing of getting the people to move, he appeared to suffer from a kind of hysteria, bursting into tears, which was followed by faintness. He was taken into the ante-room, where Dr Wannan, having been sent for, attended soon afterwards. The doctor prescribed for the patient, after which Mr Tomiins, amidst the tears of some of the women Salvationists, was carried down stairs by three men and put into a cab. He spent the night in a friendly house in Catherine Street, and in the morning was removed in a cab to his lodgings in Kinnaird Street. He has been suffering, we understand, from an unsteady, rather than a weak, action of the heart. His removal from the Hall was a painful incident of one of the most extraordinary and disorderly meetings we have ever seen in Arbroath. It took about half an hour to clear the general audience out of the Hall. Afterwards there was a prayer meeting conducted by Lieutenant Toppin, and also by some of the converts, male and female. The meeting was closed about ten o'clock.

At the meeting on Thursday there was again a crowded audience, and there were many interruptions to the services, particularly when the converts presented themselves to tell the audience their experiences, but there was not nearly so much disorder as on Tuesday evening. This was partly owing to the ladies attending the meeting having been placed in the gallery, which on previous nights had been held in strong force by the disturbers. Captan Tomlins was unable to be present, and the service was conducted by Lieutenant Toppin, who was assisted in the praise and prayer by the converts and other gentlemen. Addresses were also delivered by two local gentlemen, and three young women were among the speakers. The meeting was followed, as usual, by one for enquirers.

From, "The War Cry," page 2, 9th February 1882.

(also, page 2, 16th February 1882)

We are having glorious victories in John Street Hall. Sometimes the old enemy crops up here, but it is astonishing how soon he is silenced. It has been to many a great blessing that the Army ever entered this town. It is going to be made a greater benefit still. Hallelujah! On Sunday, 113 were present at the 7 am kneel drill. At night we were crowded out and 15 souls crowded in for Salvation. To God be all the praise.

From, 'The War Cry', March 1882.

8 Salvationists were jailed in 1882 for singing in the streets.

I do not know where in John Street the Hall was.