The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-02-07
|SAL NATION ARMY'S | FOUNDER COMING
General Booth and Party Ar
 rive Early Today
AT THE BUOU TOMORROW
The General Denies Report About One of His Staff Kissing a Negro In ga-Dlstnguished
 Chief a Vegetarian.

1 General William Booth, head of the Salvation Army and members of his par ty will arrive early this morning from Mobile
 The party includes Commander Booth Tucker, son-in-law of General Booth; Colonel John Lawley of London, vocalist and composer; Brigadier Alfred chand- 1 Ter, principal of the army training school for men in New York; Major Fred Cox, secretary to the general; Staff Captain j.. N. Lewis, master of transportation, and Miss Esther Dammes, stenograpner. Some of the party came yesterday at noon to assist the local army in making final arrangements for the services to be conducted by General Booth Sunday In the party were: Colonel R. E. Ioiz chief provincial officer from Cleveland; Staff Captain J. M. Berriman, assistant to Colonel Holz Staff Captain c. M. Straubel. musician and organist, of Gin cinnati; Staff Captain w. c. Widgery of Atlanta, Ensign Peter Titus, Captain Ed ward Taylor of San Francisco and Cap tain A E. Widgery.
 | Services were conducted last night by the Salvation Army at the Cumberland Presbyterian church. which were led by Colonel Holz and the officers who accom- pany him.
 Open Air Meeting, Too. l Today at noon there will be an immense open-air meeting near the Woodward building, which will probably be led by l Commander Booth Tucker, and tonight services will be held in the army bar racks on First avenue, which will be led by Colonel John Lawley of the Booth 1 party.
 | Tomorrow at the Bijou theatre there will be three services conducted by Gen eral Booth in person. Officers of the l army will take part in the services at Il a. m. and at p. m., and in the afternoon at D. m. General Booth will deliver one of his famous lectures. The meeting will be presided over by J. B. Babb, manag- ing editor of the Birmingham News
 Denies Report.
 In reply to report circulated in Ten nessee that a member of the Booth party kissed a negro, giving as an excuse that many souls could be saved by showing an interest in them, General Booth has issued the following statement:
 Please say that the report sent cut from Chattanooga that one of my party kissed negro is absolutely without foun- dation. My visit to the south is for ihe purpose of strengthening the work of the army I do not desire to take any part in the rase issue. All of my party are of the same mind. CIVILIAN BOOTH"
 Colonel Holz, when asked yesterday l how General Booth, who is a man 73 years of age, stands the strain of a tour like the one he is making, said:
 Farewell In New York. General Booth has an excellent con- | stitution and Is very careful of himself. l He is a strict vegetarian and has eaten no meat for six or seven years. He says that is the secret of his health. "rhe tour thus far has been very suc- 1 cessful and we have had immense audi ences everywhere. We go from here to Atlanta and from Atlanta to Washington. At Washington the general will be ,he | guest of Senator Hanna and on Thursday President Roosevelt will give a luncheon | in his honor. Senator Hanna will glve a banouet for him at which the president, | cabinet foreign ambassador and leading men in official life at Washington will be present.
 ''The present tour will end with a great | farewell meeting in New York city at the Metropolitan opera house on March 4. which will be presided over by Senator Hanna. The general will sail for England 1 March D."