In 1888 the Salvation Army had only been known by that name for ten years but there was already a Salvation Army Hall established in Exeter. On Saturday 31st March there were services which went on late into the night. In the Hall were the Salvationists and those prepared to be saved but in the lobby were rowdy boys and young men come to disturb the peace,
That same night Salvationist Halliwell Hutchinson, who was acting as doorman went into the lobby but there he was struck in the face by one rowdy and knocked down with a walking stick by another.
Captain Louisa Christmas (was she as lovely as her name?), however, was not afeared. She was in charge of the services. Like Major Barbara she was pepared to face down disturbers of the peace. The Western Times (5th April 1888) court report from Exeter'e Guildhall reads:
"Charles Lyons, William Down, and Thomas Trump, young men, were charged with creating a disturbance at the Salvation Army Hall on Saturday night.
"Louisa Christmas, captain, stated that she was in charge of the services at the Hall on the night in question, About twenty-five minutes to twelve o'clock she heard a noise in the lobby creating a disturbance. She asked Downs personally to leave the lobby, as he was rather intoxicated. But he refused to go, saying that his wife was in the Hall , and he was going in, She told the other prisoners to be quiet and if they behaved themselves she would let them in to the Hall. But as they continued making a noise a policeman was sent for."
The offenders who had declined to behave themselves were appropriately shamed and fined by the Exeter magistrates.
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