Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1875-10-01
FOnA INFLUENCE.
Revival Indeed-A Murderer
TUrh0 from his PurpOse.

From the Chicago Post and MALL
Mrs. Van Colt spent a portion of
last month in earnest efforts for the
Christianizing of sundry towns and viii
lagos in Pennsylvania. Among these
villages is the village of Freedom, in
York county where she met with
marked success, and held entheusias-
tic meetings. One evening while can
wasting the house for repentent sin
ners, she noticeda middle-aged man,
the stolid expression of whose face at
tracted her attention and excited her
feminine curiosity; 80 in her usual
magnet manner, she approached him
and asked him whether he would not
like to follow in the path of the
righteous. No answer could she gain,
and with an audible prayer of /" May
God drive the dumb evil out of you,
my brother" she passed on to inter
view more impossible subjects.
Two nights passed, and the stran-
ger again appeared at the church but
this time his eyes were lighted up
with An almost maniacal glitter,
and his countenance seemed
the playground of the liveliest emo.
tons. Quickly approaching the altar.
he knelt among the sobbing and
shouting ones, and as the religious
shepherdess drew near, he asked her
if she knew him, "Why, yes; you're
the man who had the dumb devil the
other night" she replied. He then
begged of her the privilege of saying
few words; and, the request being
granted, he arose and, deliberately
held it aloft in thrilling dramatic
manner, while he told his history of
life to the eager listeners. He was
resident of Chicago, where he had for
many years followed his profession of
photographer. For the last four years
he had strayed far from the path of
right and virtuous living. and, as
consequence Of his dissipation and de-
bauchery, his wife had deserted him
and returned to her friends in Penn
sylvania, taking his three children
with her. Driven to frenzy by this,
he sank still lower and lower, until, as
if the fendishness of hell it
self possessed him, he had pur-
chased this weapon Of death and
started for the east, determined to
murder his wife and children and then
put an end to his own miserable exis-
tence. Only two nights before he sa
in that church 9loating over the fend- |
ish plot. The words then spoken to
him had aroused his almost lost man i
hood, ard falling sgain on his knees |
he desired Mrs. Vsn Colt I'd pray for |
him. She spoke It once, extending
her hand toward him. "Child, give |
me that" and with the meekness of a
child he handed her the weapon. and
then feeling In h 5 rocket produced
box of cartridges, which he also placed
in her hand. The strange sight was
then presented TO the woman revival
list holding in one hand seven
shooter and in the other a box CT
death dealing missiles, while she of
fered to heaven an earnest prayer for
the saving of this brand from the burn
ing. AS Mrs. Van Colt finished tell
ing the incident, she said: 'Never in
my life did feel such power in prayer,
and never before did offer up petit
ton to my Heavenly Father under
such strange circumstances" The
next day the man, clothed in hls right
mind and happy in heart, sought the
injured wife, effected q reconciliation.