The morning times., 1896-04-05

1t was Easter-eve service at the Central
Union Mission last night and Michael
Riley, the "Bowery Bum Evangelist -
spoke. The crowd was not large but
1t was interesting and 80 was the star
speaker OF the meeting.
The bare room was unadOTned by any
flowers or ornaments other than those
that decorate it at aH times. with one
exception. Tits exception was a large
double picture, roughly painted, that Afr.
Riley himself had brought along and hung
over the rOstrufn.
The audience-it was such one as may
be seen at the mission on any winters
evening-was composed or men and women,
Of soldiers, OF marines, of red cross boys,
or old. young, middie-aged. of colOre,I
people and or tramps, LODOs. and mission
habitues. Many, perhaps most OF them,
came to ENJOY the services, Others came
in 10 get warm. for tie night was cold,
others came for, they probably themselves
knew not what.
George W. Wheeler. OF the board 1f direc-
tors. led the meeting. Two gentlemen,
with soprano and tenor voices. respectively,
sang a duet, Some sweet Day" and
Mr.. Wheeler prayed. lie prayed for the
blessings Of heaven on the meeting; he
that her husband, who mistTeated her
prayed for the woman who had lust asked
be prayed for; for the man who said he
was afflicted with the drink habit, anil
fortheyoung man whoas ked to be redeemed
from the downward path he felt he was
gOius.
A UNIQUE CHARACTER.
There were more prayers and sOugs an'i
Scripture readings and praise -givings. and
then Mr. Wheeler introduced Mr.. Riley.
Had Riley himself not told them so, his
hearers would have known that he was an
Irishman The unique man had at one
time been on the stage as a dance artist.
Gray hairs are beginning 10 grow among the
many coarse black ones that cover his
head, and are cut pOupa9Our. His face is
ciran->haven 3ni coarse. Has mouth fails at
either end. His eyes are gray and quick
His motions are quick, too, but they lack
the spring they must have had at one
time. he were glasses
The BOweTy Bum hasa good voice. With
the accent Of his native tongue he mixes the
inimitlbie twang OF the Bowery. A years
association with people of a different
sphere has polished this tongue, though, until
It Is now eupuoniOUs ami pleasing. He Told
his life's tale ia the short time he spoke,
a lady having Just preceded him on the
rOSirum.
i thought the woman was address tGg
me. 4 wTeIcHed sinner alone said Riley,
III III '-tJiIAE siS HI t4EV>E 11tN
words sank deep into me heart. i am only
an uneducated IrishuIan from de BOwery.
/ got me learnin', what Htsie 1 have, on te
Bowery.
''On dc night OF de Sth OF May i 10y
drunk at dc corner OF de BOwery and Hester
street. A policeman came along and ne
took me to a POweFy mission. l saw Q
drunk man testify. ] asked TO be prayed
for and / found redemption Me appetite
for drink is gone end me hatred for Ne
fcilOw-Inau has faded
On HIS OWN HOOK.
per is no man, woman, or society W5d
Il dollar behind me. j ssus Just said 20
me, Nike, 20 ont and ten de people whas
God has doue for yOu,' and ] went and
have been going ever since. Jesus 10
closer to NE tonight than de shirt on nie
back
With that the BOwery Bum sat down. A
number Of speaker followed him ana they
told the audience that the reason people
never succeeded in life was because they
did not come 10 The Almighty. But many
OF the audience did not understand these
spea kers, though they iId Riley from tie
BOwcFy. He had scored another success
in life Just as he must have done years
ago on the stage, when people came 70 see
him dance and listen IO his coarse jokes.
His success this time was on the other
side Of the ledger and no one knew il better
than the under half at the mission last night