Morris tribune., 1903-10-10
.Ex.pUGILIsT EXPORTER
How Bantam Billy Smith Now
Fights Satan.
NIGHTLY PLEADS WITH CROWDS.

works For Religion ~ He Fought
In the Ring-Incident That Led to
His Convention.
"God called me. and stood up. God
bid me work among you, and ! an
| here"
Night after night Billy Smith, the
undisputed bantam champion Of seven
states. the participant in 108 credita-
BILE ring battles and one time the very
best in his class. stands on a stool in
the center Of motley crowd at FOrti-
eth street and Lancaster avenue. in
Philadelphia, and thus explains his
presence in the ranks Of the Salvation
Army. He works for religion as ne
fought in the ring, says the New York
World.
With his frowsy hair waving in the
breeze. his fists clinched, his head low
cred and his 1.-the body swaying to and
fro, Smith. in the language Of the
streets. urges his hearers to repent and
be saved.
Before Brother Smith begins his ''tes-
timony" he looks the crowd over "just
like used tol size up percentage
house." as he puts it, and then in a
clear, penetrating voice he tells his
story.
"You all know me-" he begins. II
need not tell you that / gambled, that
lied, that cursed, that fought, that
had a good time. You all know that
went all the way down the line. You
all saw me play every game and each
one to the limit You all saw me on
the highroad to hell. and some Of you
were jealous of me. You envied me
the good time, the good clothes. the
diamonds, the cheers of those who paid
to see me fight. Not one Of you had
sense enough to be sorry for me. I
was pushing the pace that kills.
"Every vice had its hold on me but
rum. / was getting to the place where
no longer respected my family, cared
for my friends or thought Of myself. l
was billed for eternal torture. Then
God spoke. 1t was right here on this
corner. The army was here. heard
the testimony Of dozen saved souls,
and each one seemed to tell the story
Of my life. My wife said. Billy, they
mean u.s. 1t was the word of God. We
followed the army over there to the
hall. and there God called me. and !
stood up God bid me work among you,
and am here.
"Your soul ia worth saving. We are
here to help you save it. None Of you
is so far gone that you can't be saved.
/ know that it takes brave man to
shake his hummer friends and come
out strong for Jesus, but it pays.
know all about the sneers and the
smiles that you will have to bear. but
they are only for today. and salvation
is forever. No coward can be q Chris
tan.
"a coward can't be anything that is
manly. I'd sooner wear this uniform
and stand ON the street in the snow
begging pennies for the poor than live
in a palace with a guilty conscience.
You people are afraid to come out for
Christ. You think 1t is smart to sin.
It's cowardly Some day you will wake
up. 1t may he day too late. Come to
Jesus now" r
A Salvation Army hymn sung to the
air of the everlasting "Hiawatha" cut
short his harangue. and the clear So
prano voice of Mrs. Billy Smith. some
time star of the Fairy Female Min
strels, sounds high above all the other
voices. and Billy pushes around in the
crowd with tambourine begging pen
MES for the Salvation Army Rescue
home, which is the institution he re-
CARDS with especial favor.
II simply had to take up the army
work" Billy said the other night, 1T
was Gods will, not mine. My wife
ran away from her home In Illinois
twice to go on the stage. General Joe
Wheeler is her uncle. Her people are
all right. They would not stand for
any female minstrel business. Her
brothers. who kept the Leland hotel
at SheIlyville. ILL.,, got crowd togeth-
er and went to Jana, where the Fairy
Female Minstrels were to show. and
surrounded the hall. and 1t was toss
up whether they would shoot the show
men or only lynch them.
"My wife 1--WE were not married
then, you know went home with her
brothers and, bless you, ran away
again. met her in Chicago the day
after fought McGovern. and the next
time went to Chicago we were mar
ried. She was converted first and had
much to do with my salvation.
1--WE just turned our diamonds and
such things into cash, established this
home. and while give 10 per cent Of
all |, earn to the work my wife sells
the War Cry and helps at the barracks.
We are both trying to learn to play In
struments SO that we can get into the
band. We have come into the army
to stay"
care you as happy now as you were
when boxing"
II never knew what it meant to be
happy before"