Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1895-04-25
A TRUE AND COMPLETE
Statement in Regard to Rev. e. w. Oakes
the Evangelist as Given by his Physi-
clan.

Editors lIessenqer:;
In your Sunday issue of April
18th appeared a letter from ''Citi,
zen" of Fayetteville, which we
know does Mr.. Oakes and his
friends a great injustice, and we
regret much that this Citizen
filled aCih such deep regret for Mr..
Oakes, and such high patriotic
interest in the people Of his ma
tive State, did not await proper
and complete publication of this
unfortunate occurrence, with al
it's attending conditions and miti-
eating circumstances, in order
that the public could at the same
time have a full and complete
statement upon which to base its
opinion and pass its judgment.
[ did not hear Of this sad affair
until Saturday night, and left i'm
mediately to see him, and this is
the first opportunity since my
return to give the public these
statements. The published re-
port Of his condition and conduct
on the cars between Wilmington
and Richmond is true.
What then could be the cause
Of such a change in a man, who
has been preaching ''Christ and
Him Crucified' with such elo-
quence, and so beautifully illus
trated in his daily life the great
truths he SO sweetly taught:
Why such a sudden change and
why should it occur on the very
scene Of his successful work in
North Carolina?
To answer this I regret to in
wade the privacy of his life and
family record; yet deem it neces-
sary in justice to Mr. Oakes.
During his stay in North Caro-
lima for the last two winters and
springs he has made Faison his
home, returning here for a day
or two after his preaching in diff
ferent parts of the State. He has
constantly been under medical
treatment for physical and ner-
! VOQS arrangements.
He comes of a family of highly
nervous people for generations,
many of them insane, and com
hitting suicide, and others des-
perate drunkards.
In his early boyhood he showed
a tendency to insanity, and strong
predisposition to liquor, and early
in his youth he became a loYer OF
strong drink.
For three years previous to his
conversion he was an abandoned
victim to liquor, wandering tc
and fro, from Ireland to America,
a drunken, erratic tramp, his
friends and relatives abandoning
him to the weaknesses of here
dity. Since his conversion ano
even to the present time these
two family tendencies POSSIBLY {
visiting of the sins of the fathers
have hung over him like black
cloud ready to engulf him at any
minute, the fear of which, he sc
often said. compelled him to be
surrendered always at the feet O.
Jesus.
Converted at 25 years of age he
at once began to tell of his free
dom from the slavery Of drink
and after much care and training
was given charge of a branch
mission of the Young Men:
Christian Association on the Bow
cry in New York city, among th'
very class of men out of which
God in His gracious providence
, mad raised him, and for two year
did the grandest work ever &C
complished in this slum of sil
and vice.
After this, his health failin:
with nervous prostration, he wa
t ordained a minister of the Bap
| tist Church and sent West fo
health and work, when God use,
him nightly in teaching an
carrying the Gospel. (See Chris
l tia7a Herald of April 3, 1884. for
short history of him and fronts
7 piece picture Returning late
5 for health to the North, MI
4 Oakes has served most accepta
: bly, several pastorates, manifest
: ing great spiritual power an
4 deep conservation. Yet durin
2 all this time he has been Of gres
d care and anxiety to his wife an
friends, his frequent prostratio
d manifesting itself sometimes
d melancholia, at other times
d severe mental excitement, re
g quiring him to rest for months
a travel, change his work an
1t such like, lest he should becom
y completely incapacitated fo
It duty. His physical condition
it weakened by his early life {
y desperate dissipation, often e.
= aggerated his nervous tendeno
n and demanded the closest after
d ton Of his physicians.
n Two years ago feeling aga;
a called to evangelical work, he ga,
o up nice pastorate and comfor
5; able home life etc., and came
IS North Carolina, where he b;
,e preached with such marked po1
d er and ability Ito which many
,e his hearers so gladly testify
Becoming exhausted, he returne
W North last spring, suffered mut
n prostration, anu later travelled
le the Orient for rest and r9cre;
er tion, at the same time doing son
IF missionary service at the diffe
lr emf missionary stations. Here