The sun., 1903-11-25
DOWNTOWN SIGNS THE PLEDGE
,o0OO. so THEY SAY, IN BIG TON
EOLEY'S DISTRICT.
uardcs, CITIZEN in 1t Dragged Into Church
and secured for RefOrnn-Neyer Was
such a Mission as the Paulist Fathers
Have Made the Politicians Help In.

such a Mission as the Paullst Fathers
Have Made the Politicians Help In.
Ten thousand persons living in the
rourh and Seventh wards have signed a
nledge not to drink Intoxicating liquors
fora specified time as the result of a Catholic
mission down there 1t is considered by
,he experts the most remarkable thing
that has ever occurred in the lower part Of
Manhattan
Pou icians of all parties. merchants,
clerks. lawyers, doct ors and undertakers
are among the pledge takers. Some have
agreed 10 keep from drinking for six months,
others have promised for year The mis-
siorers who brought about the result
are the Paulist Fathers, who have been
preaching in St. James's Church in James
street for the past month The mission
will end on Sunday.
The Rev A. p. Doyle, who has had charge
Of the mission, is Of the opinion that it has
been the greatest work his order has ac-
complshed in this city. for almost every
MN, woman and child of the Catholic
faith in the district has been brought into
line b. the missionaries. The Rev. j. b.
Curry, pastor of the church, who for many
years has been fighting vice in his parish,
has worked night and day assisting the
miss ion priests
Before beginning their labors the priests
laid out a plan of campaign. Father Doyle
was taken downtown lust before election
and introduced to Big Tom Foley, the
Tammanv leader. to whom he explained
the great need of reforming folks in the
lower wards Foley finally promised the
priest to use what influence he possessed
,i,f la hrnIinht
into line Alderman elect Michael Stapleton.
Senator Dan Riordan, Assemblyman- -elect
Alfred Smith and other politicians. They
all agreed to make the mission. Priests
expert in such work were chosen to manage
Il and week was set apart for the reform
of married men. another for married
women, and third to unmarried women.
This week the young men are being re-
formed
As an example to other folks. the polti-
clans were first brought to the mission
Some of them admitted that not in twenty
years had they been in church of any
sort except to attend funerals They were
all pledged to bring a certain number of
recruits around every night.
The result was that on the first night
for men eco crowded into st. James's
Church. filing the pews, aisles and galleries
as they had never been filled before. They
we're not asked to sign the pledge until
the priests had them we'll in hand.
Then red card was given to each man
in the chuI ch, and he was told that If he was
a drinking man it would be necessary for
him to sign the pledge to make the mis-
son properly.
Before the first week ended the priests
q NJ n par out
the rules each had to attend mass at least
one morning in the week and listen to at
least one evening sermon. But they were
urged that the proper thing to do was to
attend mass every morning and attend
lecture every night. At the end of the week
each was required to make life confession
and then receive communion
The scenes enacted in the church were
such as had never been witnessed there.
Men who for years have been known as
Pri2e fighters and gamblers with wide repu-
tations in their particular lines meekly
mel, with their more devout brethren
and each night came back to listen TO the
sermons preached by the missionaries. aries
With the women it was the same. They
lad to vow before the altar that they would
refrain from drinking intoxicants for at
east year To say that the missionaries
we're elated over the work they accom-
piished hardly describes it..
A great tale is being told about he con-
version of "the worst character in the dis,
trict" The priests were told that he had
boasted that no one could bring him back
to the church. The; thought he should be
brought back, go
The priests corralled dozen Of the mans
old friends who had been brought int o the
fold and inst ruct ed them to get him to
the church somehow. The committee took
the lob They reasoned with him. They
argued with him. They told him how good
hey felt after being relieved of the burden
Of their sins. Then they kept him out all
coaxed him as far rs the church door.
When they got him there they told him
70 p.ep in and see So-and-So kneeing be-
side So-and-So. He peeked in and they got
him into the vest ibule. telling him it was
warm there. And when they got him so far
Two men grabbed him and dragged him up
The centre aisle, He did not want to make
a scene by resisting, so they put him far
nm in the church in the second pew. There
he knelt unt il the end of the mass. Then
three priests gathered around and talked
With him.
LAST night he returned to the church and ad-
,nittnd that he had been brought around
ard would attend the services each night.
To his pals he said:
well, guess it's up to me to keep my
word When Tom Foley and the rest of
the bunch did it, I can see no reason why
| shouldn't fall in line. Those priests have
wav of convincing fellow that it's much
easier to be good than it is to be bad, so I'm
in to be good from now on"
In speaking of the success of the work,
cre nf the priests said last night that Father
Dorle would probably write a book on the
work accomplished and that politicians,
upon to assist in bringing into line de-
lipnrert Cat hO1iCa