Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-12-22
DWIGHT |. MOODY D[AD.
The Famous American Evangelist
Expired at Northield Mass, at
Noon Today.
His Death Was Unexpected Though
He Had Been Sick For Some
Time.
Moody Was Regarded the Greatest
Evangelist Of His Time
His Career.
East Northfleld Mass, Dec. 22.-D. L.
Moody, the famous evangelist. died at

East Northfield, Mass, Dec. 22.-D. L.
Moody, the famous evangelist. died at
noon today
1t was not expected until yesterday
by Moody's family and friends that
death would be the result of his illness.
The cause was general breaking
down, due to overwork His heart had
been weak a long time and the exertions
he put forth in connection With great
revival meetings in Kansas City last
month brought on a collapse from
which he failed to rally. The break
down occurred Nov. is, and the serious
ness Of his condition was so apparent
that his physicians compelled him to.
give up work and return home at once.
After he reached Mortified eminent
physicians did all that could be done for
him.
bulletin issued last week said he
was very ill; that little Improvement
was noticed. This week he showed a
steady gain till yesterday. when symp
toms of nervousness were observed, ac-.
companied by weakness. This morning
the weakness continued, and at S he
called his wife and children. telling
them the end was not far off. The fam
lily remained close by his bedside all the
forenoon. The evangelist was almost
free from pain and occasionally talked
with apparent ease. About the last
words he Was heard to utter We're:
II have always been an ambitious
man, not to lay up wealth. but to find
work TO do just before IL the watch
ers saw the end approaching, and cx-
actly q noon the great preacher passed
away.
Dwight Lyman Moody was born In
Eorthfield, Mass, Feb. s. 1897. He re-
cefved liElited education and worked
on farm till he was Ii years old
When he was IL years cd he left
Northfield, Mass, With his mothers
permission to seek employment in Bos-
ton, where his uncle was IN business as
shoe merchant Mr.. iiolton engaged
his country nephew with some reluc-
tance and on two conditions; The lad
agreed to be governed by his advice,
ard to attend regularly the sunday
school and services of the Mount Yer
non Congregational church. His pas
tor was the eloquent and learned DIR. r.
N. Kirk himself successful erangel-
picked fruit is the best, and it is not
surprising, therefore, to read that he
was not greatly Impressed by the SER
mons. but was converted through the
personal efforts of Edward kimball. his
Sunday school teacher. The seed thus
sown was found after many days wnen
Mr.. Moody. preaching in Boston. led TO
the Savior son of that very teacher.
-f;54t Ar,
tended with his mother the Unitarian
church. and he was not we'll grounded
in evangelical truths. Besides his bash
ful shyness in the presence of cultured
Christians, his poor command of words
in which to express his thoughts and
his broken. awkward sentences caused
his teacher TO use these words regard
ing him:
He is very unlikely to become a
Christian of clear and decided views oil
gospel truth, still less to fill any eX-
tended sphere of public usefulness
The youth was not accepted into
church membership until May. 1856, a
year after his first application.
In September of that year he went tc
Chicago and became a salesman in this
shoe trade. Then it was that he begar
10 show that peculiar gift which char
acterized his later life and which made
him such power with young men. Hs
Showed his earnest spirit by rentins
four pews in the church. which he KEEP
filled with young men and boys.
Offering to teach class in the sun
day school of the church he was tolt
that there was no vacancy, but that h,
could have class II he would bring hi
own scholars. The challenge was suffi
cient, and the next Sunday morning h,
marched into the room a the head o
eighteen ragged boys, whom he has
gathered from the street. From this be
ginning he went to work as a tract dis
tributor, and soon set up mission 70
himself in the neglected part of Nortl
Chicago, where he paid the rent of al
empty tavern and gathered the rud
children Of the neighborhood for Sunda,
service, while their Incorporate parent
were reached in the evening meeting
To a friend he said:
81 have got only one talent. hav
no education, but love the Lord Jesu
Christ, and / want to Go something TO
him."
thirteen years afterward his frien
said:
ludl sduic iIidli sllCOh sotOtlduu tO II
very center, and then when his nam
was known throughout the world, hi
request in letter was: Pray for m
every day; pray that the Lord will kee
me humble
rhe growth OF Mr. N;oody's school i
Chicago led to the occupation OF Mort
Market Hall, and John b. Farwell be
came Its superintendent The attend
ance was large, reaching 1000 scholar
and sixty teachers. For years Nj
Moody swept and cleaned the hall o
Saturday night after 1T had been use
until late hour for dancing, and re
duced his own expenses by doing with
out home, sleeping on bench in
room of the Young Mems Christian AS
sociation.
He was a busy man during the wa
He insisted that an association cam
should be erected at Douglas prison.
was done. He divided his time betwee
1t and the front He was on the groun
among the wounded at Pittsburg Lane
ing. Shiloh and Murfreesboro, with til
army at Cleveland and Chattanoog
and among the first to enter Richmon,
THIS patriotic and humanitarian wor