The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-01-18
THE COWBOY EVANGELIST
George w. Rasure, Once a LawIess Dss
peradO, Now Preaching the Gospel.
Little Rock Gazette.


The following brief sketch of the life of
George w. Rasure, the 1ell-known reform
ed cowboy and desperate, who is now
travelling through the country preaching
the gospel and dealing in stock, aud who
is DOW in the city, will be read with inter-
est. especially by those concerned in the
cause of religion.
He was born in Boone County, KY, in
1S47, but his parents soon moved to Louis
vile, where ne remained until he was four
teen years of age, when he enlisted in the
Fourth Kentucky Cavalry, Union army.
He was q very wild and obstinate boy,
billed man soon after entering the ranks
and was taken out of the army by his par
ents on account OF his early age. He was
of a roaming disposition and would not
remain at home. and rejoined his regiment
at Bardstown, KY, the first opportunity he
had. From Bardstown he went to Nash
vile, where he was made assistant wagon
master, which position he held of and on
until 1864. He tBen returned home and
enlisted sgain with his brother and re-
manned in the army until the close of the
war. In 1865 he went with the Powder
River expedition against the Nee Psrces
emo Bsnnock Indians. in the Powder River
country. and in 1866 was discharged at
Leavenwortb, Kan.
While in the West he became infatuated
tTn country, as he had seen 1t. He went
to Louisville TO hid mis- folks good-by, aud
returned to the West to become q rowing
cowboy. In fact, he followed the life of
cowboy in Texas. Colorado, Wyoming,
Kansas and Arkansas for seventeen years
was one of the most reckless, daring and
desperate leaders of wild men that ever
crossed the plains. He says he never
could work in harness, and always wanted
to be leader among desperadoes.
Many people in Little Rock will remem-
| Der when he was here. some seven years
ago, what a bad man he was He left
Little Rock in disgrace, having been ar
rested number of times for being drunk
| and fighting. From Little Rock~he went to
Anna, Mo-, where he got into druken row
| and killed a man. After leaving Missouri he
returned to Kansas and gained a livelihood
for q time by breaking in" wild, horses and
handling them, until his robust con-
| stitution was broken down and his health
| destroyed by whisky and exposure, and
four years ago last Septem Der, after having
been on pr0trscted drunken spree, he was
taken dangerously i'll in Wellington,
Kan, and thought he was going to die.
He was taken to the stable of his brother
| to die. He had been cast out by his peo-
! pie, and was not thought worthy to enter
| the house on account of his desperate
character. The doctor said he could not
live, and, lying in that stable, the teach
iDgs of his childhood and prayers of his
sisters and mother came to his
mind, and for the first time in
many years he prayed to God to be
saved, and promised If his appetite for
drink was destroyed he would devote his
whole life to service of God. he says his
prayers were answered, and he began to
get wei and he was converted; then they
wanted to give him whisk y, but he re.
solved OF to drink 1t and prayed again fol
strength to resist it. They endeavored ia
''choke it" down him, but did not succeed
and the doctor pronounced him crazy.
So they sent him to an insane asylum in
Topeka. Dr.. Penney, of the asylum, wrote
to Probate Judge Isaac King, OF Sumner
County, Kan, stating that he was not in
sane but had religion, and If he had any
more such patients to send them on,
and they would be glad to receiV'
them. After being confined il
the asylum six weeks, he was discharged
and sent back to Wellington, anc
worked in his brothers livery stable curry
ing horses at fifty cents day. Attei
working there eight days he was taken
sick again. Upon hls recovery he had JUS
s.. so in money. He paid 81 of it for
thirty day ontion on S25 lot in yelling
ton. He sold the lot at profit OF $24 be
fore the expiration of thirty days, and thel
he traded ponies and bought and sold som
real estate, and from that time everythin
prospeTed with him. He says he has re
solved to take God into all his transactions
and he has IN the last four years accumu
lated 500, 600 worth of property, and hi
income is $50 per day. April Ii, 1884, b
married Miss Johanna Pierson, formerly Q
Little Rock.
He commenced to preach ae soon as h
was released from the Asylum in Topeks
and has been an exemplary Christian eve
} since. He will preach in the opeh air, o
the street, in wsgen.yard, church, or any
where else, and has frequently travele
: 300 and 400 miles to fill an appoiRtmen
Mr.. Rssure, contemplates purchasing
= home in Little Rock.