The morning call., 1891-11-21
PRIZE FIGHTERS.
John Currie Thinks That They
May Get to Heaven.
He Says That Pugilist Never Thinks of
Salvation as Long as There Are Fat
Purses to Be Won.

In the leeture-room of the First United
Presbyterian Church, Mason street, near
Eddy, John CuFrie, the Scotch evan
gelist. delivered discourse last evening in
which he sought to answer the question
Can God save prize-fghters and make
them useful men,"
He is 4 rapid and rather forcible speaker,
evidently very much in earnest but given
greatly to prize-ring attitudes. gestures and
expressions, which always seem out of
place in house of worship
Mr. Currie quoted his text from Hebrews.
i" The Lord is no respecter of persons" and
began by saying he was glad to see before
him home-spun crowd. that he hated
starch worse than the devil, and abhorred
stiffness as sin Of the deepest dye.
He then apoIogized for wearing eye
glasses, telling his listeners that he was
neither a dandy nor a dude, and added a:
My LETT eve was badly damaged by the
last man with whom [ fought, and since
thai tine the sight has been defective"
AFTER BENG KNOCKED OUT.
Referring to tie salvation OF prize
fighters, he said: have noticed that they
never sigh for salvation so long as they are
able 20 win $4,000 purses, but when age
creeps on, and they get old, broken down
y,
liginn comes handy. II God can save such
men as Saul of Tarsus, think that the
pugilists also have 4 chance.
The speaker then related the story of the
conversion Of Ned Wright, the ex-DugiIist
of London, and told how Dir. Spurgeon had
reprimanded him recently for fighting on
the street.
Then came a review of the lecturers own
experience in the ring, a vivid description
of his fight with Jack Cameron in Glasgow,
which pUt both contestants in bed for three
weeks, and which proved to be the primary
cause Of his conversion. OF this affair he
said:
AFTER twelve rounds we were both
bleeding like cattle. Our faces were pounded
to Jelly, and had the fight continued one
of US must have been killed. Our brutal
hackers separated US and we divided the
money, the fight having been declared a
draw. Then l sent my friends away and
lay down in a field to rest and perhaps to
die, for | never expected to survive the
effects of the terrible battle. AT this time
thought of what my grandmother had told
me about going to church, and decided to
lead a better life D."
CONVERTED sLOGGER.
Ben Hogan was then introduced and told
of his experiences in the fields of religion
and pugiIsm. BY way OF introduction,
however, he took execution to what Mr.
Currie had said about fighters remaining in
the business as long as there was any money
in it,
II am not old or broken down." said he,
putting up his fists in a scientific manner,
land people say that am growing hand
somer every day. 1 deny that | was down
to bedrock" or anywhere near it when i
got saved. Oh no, dear friends, was abou.
to leave for gay Paris with S45, 600 in my
clothes, but God ordered otherwise, and for
thirteen years | nave devoted my life to the
work of saving souls. / have my own Pc
culiar methods of work. In mining camps
/ stand outside and gather my flock, as [
used to catch suckers in gambling den,
and then 90 in and preach to them the Cos
mol that il saving thu wnrId