The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-11-10
(The Enid
A VERSATILE GENIUS.
He Is an Evangelist, a Horse Thief
and Burglar.
From the Pittsburg Post.

Chester, Ill, oct. 31-Dave English,
horse thief, evangelist and burglar, is
again behind prison walls, this time re-
ceived at the Chester penitentiary from
the United States district court at SPRING
field for term of two years.
Dave English is quite a crook in his own
way, though not standing in the front
rank of criminals, and his has been
checkered career since arriving AZ the a 90
of manhood. His first offense had a tin9e
OF romance in it, a girl a horse and an
irate father figuring in it. Over in Mis-
souri,, about 1879, Dave yell in love with
a country maiden, and the affection was
reciprocated. He was a good looking. a
dashing sort of fellow, but a cruel par
ent objected and forbade the maria %
ana the would-be groom was not per-
mitted to come on the premises But on
an eventfal night Dave hied himself to
tne nome ms nance, and in addition
70 carrying off the girl horse belonging
to the old gentleman was saddled. and
riding double, the pair proceeded to a
neighboring town and were made man and
wife Their flight was discovered but in
place OF following them up and giving
them his blessing and the horse the
tather got out a warrant for Dave for
morse stealing, threw him into prison and
landed him in the Jefferson City peniten-
tlary for term of two years his wife
securing a divorce at the next term OF
Dave English was next heard of in Jer
sey county, Illinois, in April 1888 where
ne broke INTO q house to get some salt
ana matches with which to prepare a
feast from chicken which he had pur-
loined lie spent eleven months and one
gay N the penitentiary here as atone
ment Tor this offense. After leaving the
prison he enlisted in the regular army
Dut II IS said that he did not finish his
term OF enlistment. The story goes that
Nheh ne went east with his regiment his
record became known, and that com
blned with general cussedness caused
nm 70 be drummed out-dishonorably
English returned to Illinois and married
dsdlh' seltlhg on Macoupin Island in
S ,iIee county, where, he spent a short
time IN the county jail for stealing hog
FROM Green county he again drifted into
Jersey county, where, in the winter of
1889, he burglarized the house of his ann
net proceeds Of the robbery 60 cents
and was sentenced to the penitentiar,
mere for five years. He was DISCHARGED
Christmas day, 1893.
During his last term of penal servi-
tuce Dave English professed religion
ana showed signs of reformation on his
return 10 Jersey county he began to
preach, and as an evangelist his work
was phenomenal With gifted flow Of
language, earnest and forclble, he drew
etoWas IN Jersey Greene, Pike, Calhoun
-eVerywhere he went he drew crowds
by the thousands and made converts bv
the hundreds, and was the recognized
rival in Christian work Of Sam Jones
But he went wrong-he fell from grace
lie fell in love with another mans wife
she forget her marriage VOWS, he for
got his duty. They fell and eloped to-
gether in a skin down the Mssissippi
Dave next turned up a Alton iast Win
ter, seeking a nights shelter at the po-
lice station-broke, dirty and forlor1
claiming to have been robbed of sksT
clothing woman and everything HaV-
ing laid down Bible and hymn books, he
went to burglarizing again. Aided by
pals, he went through the postoffices al
Grafton, Rosedalc ana Newbern His
arrest resulted, he peached on his pals.
and was let off with a light sentence
of two years. He Is now employed in the
tween his working hours TO review his
past and again repent Of the error of
his WAYS.