Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1899-02-17
PREACHER DIED A PAUPER.

career OF the Author OF "Iherea
n Light In the window for Thee"
The Rev. Edward Dunbar, who wrote
the old Sunday school song, There's
a Light in the window for Thee,
Brother" sleeps in a pauper's grave
at Coffeyville, Kan, where he died a
tramp in the town jail two years ago.
His name became a byword in the
places where he was known, and from
prison cell he went forth a vagabond
upon the face Of the earth. In 1867
Dunbar was arrested at Leavenworth
while engaged in holding a series Of
revival meetings, and taken to Mime
apolis, Mimi, where he was tried for
bigamy, convicted, and sent to the pen.
itentiary for three years and eight
months.
One night in the spring of 1896 Dun
bar applied at the Coffeyville jail for
lodging. He was i'll, and the authori-
ties took him in. He died the next
day. Papers in his pockets revealed
his identity, and showed that he had
tramped all over the country. Some
church people have erected a marble
slab over his grave, on which these
words are inscribed:
Here lies Edward Dunbar, who
wrote There's a Light in the window
for Thee, Brother"
When Dunbar was a small boy he
lived in New Bedford, Mass, and work
ed in a factory. His mother lived at
the foot of the street on which the fac
tory was located, and as the lads work
kept him away till after dark, she al
ways placed a light in the window to
guide his footsteps homeward. One
day the boy took notion to go to sea,
and off he went for a three years
cruise. During his absence his mother
fell i'll, and was at deaths door. She
talked incessantly about her boy and
every night she asked those around
her to place light in the window in
anticipation of his return. When she
realized that the end had come, she
said Tell Edward that l will set
a light in the window of heaven for
| him" These were her last words.
The lad had grown to manhood ere
he returned home, and his mothers
| dying message had such an effect upon
him that he reformed and became a
| preacher. In the course of his refor-
nation he wrote the song There's q
Light in the Window for Thee, Broth
er."
The Rev. Edward Dunbar married q
young lady of New Bedford and several
children were the result of the union
/ The young divine soon made a reputa.
/ tion as a brilliant pulpit orator, and the
/ public was, therefore, greatly surprised
when one Sunday morning he skipped
| the country, leaving his wife and chill
| dren behind. He came to Kansas
and after snatching brands from the
burning in different parts of the State
he swooped down upon the city o
Minneapolis, Mimi, and began to show
the people the error OF their way.
A great revival followed and hun
dreds were converted Miss Eunict
Been Lewis, a handsome young heir
ess Of Minneapolis, was one of the con
verts. She fell in love with the evan
gelist and married him against tn,
wishes of her friends
Shortly after the wedding Dunbar re
turned to Kansas to fill an engagement
at Leavenworth. While he was ava.
the friends Of the bride, who had mis-
trusted the evangelist all along, lait
their suspicious before W. D. Webb
lately Judge of the Second judicial dis
trict of Kansas, and Judge Austin H
Young, who were law partners in Min
neapolis, and they took the case. TIL
result was that they soon found evi
dence sufficient to warrant an arrest
and Dunbar's ministerial career wa
brought to sudden close.
After Dunbar's incarceration Judg
Young secured a divorce for Mrs. Dun
bar and married her himself The,
now live happily together in Mime
apolis.