The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1903-10-09
EX-PUGILIST EXHORTEn
How Bantam Billy Smith Now
Fights Satan.
NIGHTLY PLEADS WITH CROWDS

wearing the salvation Army Uni
form, Former Champion Fighter
Works For Religion as He Fought
In the Ring-Incident That Led TO
His Conversion.
God called me. and stood up God
bid me work among you, and l am
here"
Night after night Billy Smith. the
undisputed bantam champion Of seven
states, the participant in los credlta.
Bile ring battles and one time the very
best in his class. stands on stool in
the center Of a motley crowd at Fort
eth street and Lancaster avenue. in
Philadelphia, and thus explains bis
presence in the ranks Of the Salvation
Army he works for religion as he
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 bis 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-
timonya he looks the crowd over Just
| like / used to size up percentage
house as be puts 1t and then III a
clear, penetrating voice he tells bis
story
You all know me" he begins. Il
need not tell you that gambled, that
1 lied, that | cursed, that l fought, that
I had a good time. You all know that
I 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.
was pushing the pace that kills.
Every vice had its hold on me but
rum. l was getting to the place where
/ no longer respected my family. cared
for my friends or thought Of myself. !
was billed for eternal torture. Then
God spoke It was right here on this
corner. The army was here l heard
/ the testimony of dozen saved souls,
and each one seemed to tell the story
/ OF my life My wife said. Billy, they
mean us. 1t was the word Of God We
followed the army over there 10 the
hall. and there God called me. and /
stood up God bid me work among you,
/ and I am here
Your soul is worth saving. We are
here to help you save II. None Of you
is 50 far gone that you can't be saved.
know that it takes a brave man TO
shake his hummer friends and come
out strong for Jesus, but it pays.
know al about the sneers and the
smiles that you viii have to bear. but
they are only for today, and salvation
is forever No coward can be a Chris
tian.
"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 i've
in a palace With a guilty Conscience.
You people are afraid TO come out for
Christ You think it is smart to sin.
It's cowardly. Some day you viii wake
up. II may BE- a day too late. Come to
Jesus now"
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 a tambourine begging pen
MES for the Salvation Army Rescue
/ home, which Is the institution lie re-
CARDS with especial favor
Il simply had to take up the army
WORK" Billy said the other night 1T
was Gods viii, not mine. Ny wife
ran away from her home In Illinois
twice to 60 on the stage. General Joe
Wheeler IS her uncle Her people are
Ian right They would not stand for
any female minstrel business. Her
brothers, who kept the Leland hotel
at Shellyville. Ill. got a crowd togeth-
er and went TO Jana, where the Fairy
Female Minsrels were to show, and
surrounded the hall. and it was a toss
up whether they would shoot the show
men or only lynch them.
My wife eve 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 AcGovern. and the next
time went TO Chicago we were mar
ried. She was converted first and had
much to do with my salvation.
I'VE 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. 50 that we can get into the
band We have come into the army
to stay"
ARE You as happy now as you were
when boxingE
Il never knew what It meant to be
4