The Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1893-1901, 1893-10-21
lash r r JIMMY"


The First Convert Of the Salvation Army
In America.
Our first onver in America is still
living and serving the army in Boston.
The history of his reform is q remarka-
bic one.
The conversion of the first of amighty
multitude was brought about by Com
missioner Railton. then in command of
the American forces of the army, and
/ Superintendent Thomas Byrnes of the
New York police. Mr.. Byrnes was an
Inspector Of police at the time, early in
1880.
1t is safe to say that in Salvation Army
circles there are very few who do not
know Jimmy, by reputation at least.
Jimmy was Il thief and drrnkard when
converted in New York in March, 1880.
His name is James Kemp.
Three times Jimmy narrowly escaped
losing his life. On one occasion he was
nearly frozen to death outside Billy Nc
Glory's notorious dive. On another oc-
casion he was 81 brutally beaten in a
Water street dive that he was supposed
to be dead. The morgue wagon was
called by the police. and the bruised and
battered body, apparently dead, was car
ried to the morgue. When it, or rather
he, arrived there some of the doctors
made the discovery that Jimmy still
lived, and SO he was taken to the hos
pital, where he remained four months.
His last narrow escape from death was
when he drank a quantity of spirits Of
wine which he found i'll a cellar. jim
my drank SO much he went raying mad
and tried to hang himself. He was sent
to prison for three months for attempt
ing suicide.
The first Saturday afternoon in March,
1850, Jimmy started out to have some
amusement, and hearing that the Saliva
ton Army, which had just arrived from
England, was going Ito show at Harry
Hills notorious resor he concluded to
go there and see what kind of people the
soldiers We're. When lie arrived at Hills,
he found that there was an admission
fee, and he, with a ~drunkard's economy,
determined to spend the price of admis-
sion III a different n Toward
night he strolled into a dive in Water
street, where his Whyo friends painted
his back and served his face the same
way and wound up the performance by
rolling the unfortunate man in the saw
dust Of the dive floor. Jimmy, after sub
hitting to their treatment, thought they
would let him stay there all night; but.
alas, they kicked him out on the street.
just al Jimmy reached the sidewalk
his cap blew off and fell into an ash bar
rel which was standing near the door OF
the den. Jimmy tried to recover it, but
in doing so lost his balance and fell head
first into the barrel. He struggled to
get out, but all his efforts were in vain.
He seemed to be there to stay.
A short time after Jimmy's acrobatic
feat a policeman came along, and seeing
q mans legs in the barrel set to work to
discover who was the owner Of them
and why he had them in such a position
He took out his club and struck the in
verted man on the soles of his feet.
These mean are sometimes resorted to
by policemen to arouse drunken men.
From the depths of the barrel came a
voice which the policeman at once recog-
nized. He raped for assistance, and
when another officer appeared on the
scene AZ effort was made to get Jimmy
from his novel but painful position.
They pulled at the %protruding feet, but
Jimmy failed to respond, his clothes hav-
ing been caught on the nails which had
been driven through the barrel. They
pulled until the old rotten shoes gave
way and Were left in their hands. The
policemen then threw the barre down
on its side, and laying hold Of the unfor-
tunate mans feet they dragged the bar
and its bowling occupant toward the
police station.
A pitiful sight was poor Jimmy when
he reached the station. His face, which
bad Lsen Blackened by the toughs in the
dive, was al Lattered and bruised, and
tic paint o. his face. mingled with
v-a3 strongly suggestive of a
Indiaa. His clothes were all
torn and mis- shoes gone. How complete
the ruin! How perfect the wrecki
Superintendent Byrnes suggested that
the Salvation Army be allowed to try
its hand ON the man, and the result was
his conversion, since which time b. has
faithfully IN SIS raoh.-Boston
>~~s-