Osage Valley banner. (Tuscumbia, Miller County, Mo.) 1879-1881, 1880-02-12
Dan RICE,s RIVAL
An Ex-CIrcus Clown, with Fiddle in Hand.
E5horts. His Hearers 20 Repent.
New York Star

EHhorts. His Hearers 20 Repent.
New York Star
Snowman Charlie the Evangelist y
otherwise Mr.. David Charles Donaldson
of Glasgow, Scotland, a converted circus.
clown, last night began what promises
20 be unique series of discourses at
Mars Academy, No. 2S9 Blocker street,
under the auspices of the Y. NC. a.
He addresses the general public outside
the orthodox fold, but makes more mar
ticular mention OF those Of the class TO
which he claims to have lately belonged.
the actors and actresses. With "Newgafe
Prison" for his subject, Mr.. Donaldson In.
troduccd sacred solos on the violin. and
related many thrilling incidents of his
past life in a rich Caledonian broplIe
and with considerable dramatic effect
You must forgive me-" said Mr.. Dom
aldson to his audience, after some partic.
ularly impassioned bursts. "ifI am ont
spoken and act little. Ican't helm the
old life, and can't restrain myself"
Taking up narrow black box, which
proved to be a violin case, the audience
were somwhat surprised 10 see him take
up the fiddle and bow" the while ex-
planning in running comments the req
son for doing so.
"Oh, play on the fiddle I Dear me. how
astonishing some will say when the
hear Of me doing So" said the ex-show-
man. when was converted 10 God I
couldn't play on the fiddle. In Glasgow
| saw the fiddle in window and bonnbt
It. said to my wife 4 am going to p1ay
that to Gods glory You don't know
how to play she told me- No, but Pm
going 10 learn. God will teach me howl
will consecrate il to Gods glory Nv
wife always made an excuse to 90 out Ia
her sister Mary's Tlaughterl every even
ing when first began but she finally
encouraged me, and God has consecrated
all my talents to his glory Some saw 70
me, But you have precedent for PLAYING
the fiddle in this connection Yes. I
have Scriptural authority for II. for in
Isaiah We have Praise God with the
harp and timbrel, y the or0an
and strigned instruments
The ex-showman again took up his
fiddle, renarking by way of prelude. 81
play as well as can, and YOU mustn't be
too hard with me- He then evolved
from the catglit, Pull for the Shore. Sail.
or" and Ring the Bells of Heaveng' u
have heard good deal about your pris-
ons in this country" said Donaldson it
is pity that such places are needed in
this nineteenth century TO immure men
and women, but the time l hope is not
far distant when the Gospel of Jesus
Christ will spread all over the world, the
prisons gill be razed to the ground, the
shall pass over its site, and
growing wheat take the place of the dun
geon cell"
The speaker then desert bed his visit to
Newgate and the impression it made
upon him--the terrors of the dark cell,
the prison graveyard, with its nameless
graves in the tagged court; the con-
demned cell, which suggested to him the
Crucihxion-"a murder done long ago.
and he gave very dramatic description
o that event.
In concluding, Donaldson said that he
should, during the week, begin his labors
among the actors. II feel for them, and
would die for them if could bring them
to Jesus Christ. They are a highly edu-
Gated class, as they must be, and, as a
rule, stand very high in the moral
scale, but spiritually can't say much for
them"