Skeleton Army
[2] This led to the case of Beatty v Gillbanks (1882), which held that the Salvation Army was acting lawfully when marching, despite knowing that their assembly could well lead to riots.
That it was known that their marching may cause riots was not found to be a breach of the law, as it was the actions of antagonistic parties including the Skeleton Army which led directly to the riotous behaviour.
The action was reported by The Times; at the appeal hearing it was erroneously stated that the Skeleton Army was founded in Weston-super-Mare.
I found that publicans, beer sellers and butchers are subscribing to this imposture... the collector told me that the object of the Skeleton Army was to put down the Salvationists by following them about everywhere, by beating a drum and burlesquing their songs, to render the conduct of their processions and services impossible... Amongst the Skeleton rabble there is a large percentage of the most consummate loafers and unmitigated blackguards London can produce...worthy of the disreputable class of publicans who hate the London School Board, education and temperance and who, seeing the beginning of the end of their immoral traffic, and prepared for the most desperate enterprise.
[8] Black, sticky tar was painted onto the wall of the alley which the entrance to the Salvation Army barracks shared with the alcohol shop.
General Booth requested police protection for the Salvation Army in that town and ordered Captain Smith and her soldiers to remain in their barracks until they got it.
Finally General Booth ordered Captain Smith and her group to march on Sundays unprotected by the authorities.
The landlord of the barracks, George Head, a Salvation Army supporter, defended his property and the people there with a revolver, wounding several Skeletons.
Head was later brought before the magistrates on a charge of feloniously and maliciously wounding a young man named Olliver.
But we were good friends of the skeletons, twelve of whom sat at our tea table... Their leaders were very courteous and sincerely desirous of keeping their somewhat rabble followers within bounds.
[13]In 'Blood on the Flag', Major Nigel Bovey states that there is no contemporary evidence for a Salvationist being killed directly by a member of the Skeleton Army.
[14] A two-person off-Broadway musical created by Neil Leduke was written in 2019 by John Copeland and Len Ballantine about Charles Jeffries' dramatic transformation.
