Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-07-07
The /. Angel GABRIEL

The biography of the Angel Gabrien has
been published in New York, from which we
make the following extract Of this eccentric
character:
| The name Of this eccentric and peripatetc
orator is McSwish. His father was a native Of
Scotland, and was domestic in the establish
ment of the Marquis of Huntley. He married
female domestic in the same household. and
with her emgrated to the Isle of Skye, where
this precious Angel Gabriel"-the tulminator
OF unpalatable truths, first opened his eyes upou
a sinful world. His fortunes and wanderinps
have not been untinctured with romance and
| tinged with some most disreputabe reminis-
cences. He was born on the Sd of September,
1909, and is consequently forty-fye years OF
age.
His mothers maiden name was Saunders.
and he was christened Sandy McSwish. He
was very dull lad, and instead of remaining
at school, was apprenticed to weaver in his
thirteenth year. His mother having in the
meantime become a widow, she married an
itinerant Baptist preacher named Orr, whence
the Angel not only derived his present name,
but imbibed his singular notions Of handing his
name down to posterity. The family, in course
OF time, left the Isle of Skye, and Orr went on
q preaching tour to the Highlands, but finding
the business bad, he changed his name as well
as his occupation, and as one Virgins, he joined
an equestrian troupe. Sandy, of course, fol-
lowed in the footsteps Of his illusirious STEP
father and soon distinguished himself in his
new calling. he shortly quarreled with the
manager, however, joined a company of aero.
bats, with whom he Travelled over England. and
finally came to Liverpool.
Here ha fall in 1.-Two MIX L ~,
daughter, with whom he eloped to Wales. where
they were married. In Wales, he first set nm as
preacher of the Methodist persuasion: bnt
his hearers soon growing weary Of his dig
courses, he conceived the happy idea of setting
bis sermons to music, and introduced for that
purpose tin horn into the pulpit. Hence the
origin OF all our wees! Having by some
means fallen into disgrace, he left his Welsh
charge under cover OF night, leaving a few
debts behind, and taking in exchange the
pewter tankard, which had been employed in
the church sacraments, and with his trumpet
he commenced his wanderings.
Embarklng as cook on board Bristol
vessel ne first landed at Jamaica, in the West
Indies, where he resumed his functions of
stated preaching" But as the Baptist de-
nomination was here more populous and nu-
merous than his former sect, he left the
Methodist and came out deeply immersed
Baptist. He left Jamaica, and next started
dancing school in a small village, during which
ne first heard of the Furnishing Mormon settle
ment at Naugoo, in Illinois, and Immediately
determined to push his fortunes in that direc-
ton. He arrived in Philadelphia just at the
period of the native American excitement
there, and concealing his origin and antece-
dents, and being dashing, spirited fellow, he
soon was an acknowledged leader, finally be.
coming the editor of nativist paper. He gave
up all idea of following Joe Smith, as the har-
vest here was already ripe for the reaper. He
came to New York, had just money enough to
purchase brass horn, which he has continued
to blow until his name has filed the earth.
The particulars ofthis strange biography are
related by one who was born in the same town
with the Angel Gabriel" and he is quite as
much astonished at his success and notoriety
as any one. He always wears his trumpet,
frequently rides on the tops of omnibuses, and
blows for the amusement of drivers