The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-04-25
USES CAR-bARN BANDITS
DEATH To POINT MORAL
Rev. Newbert Says One Not Grim
inal Because Atheist, but Atheist
Because Criminal.
IS POWERFUL SERMON

In a remarkably forceful discourse, de-
livered at All Souls Church yesterday, the
Rev. E. E. Newbert made an epigrammatic
statement to the effect that men are not
criminals because they are atheists, but
atheists because they are criminals.
In speaking of the car-barn bandits ex-
with prayers on their lips he said that
their god must be but a mythical one and
their heaven mirage, because while only
one of them professed atheism, all of them
had lived the life of atheists. He said in
part
"All men agree that the way of the
transgressor is hard. Indeed, this is no new
thought 1t is as old as the Bible, and is
as the voice of the law written in men S
hearts. For illustration of its truth we
need only to turn to the daily press. Two
or three recent instances come TO mind.
Great the change from a mans well-or-
dered home and from his place in society
to a prison. There is an element of pathos
IT. the case of the Elkhart bank wreckers.
Justice was swift and sure Nor do they
suffer alone Their wives and children and
friends go to prison with them. Stock
other instance is that of Senator Burton, OF
Kansas. Still another that of the men
identified with the extensive postal frauds
What is back of the fall of these men
who once moved among their fellows bear
ing a reputation for honesty and charac-
ter? What were they seeking? What their
compelling motive? The answer is not
far to seek. The incidents named are evil
dence of the extreme commercialism OF the
age
''These men were after money, more
money than they could legitimately earn.
Again we have a vivid Illustration OF
the thought in hand in the conviction and
execution OF the so-called car-barn bandits
of Chicago. Three young men paid the
penalty for their many crimes last week
on the scaffold. Before the incident passes
to be forgotten in some new sensation LEI
the young man ponder ii. One at least OF
these three seems not to have been q
criminal up to two or three years ago He
was a mechanic. but was led by evil asso-
ciates. Within the shadow of the gallows
he remarked that he had a good mother
and that had he kept 70 his trade and reac
good books he would at that hour have
been enjoying life and liberty. But he ha:
gone with the others.
lone of these young bandits professeC
himself an atheist. But II should be no
ticed that he was not criminal because
he was an atheist. Rather was he al
atheist because he committed crime. Every
criminal is an atheist. For no thief be
lieves in God. No murderer believes il
God. No man who hurts his fellow-meT
believes in God. Such by their very act!
deny the existence of the moral order o.
the world apart from which we may hun
for God in vain.
1.-The two others went TO the scaffold will
some sort of prayer on their lips. Blu
what avail for such is prayer? Their Coo
is only a shadow cast by the fear of death
and their heaven but "A celestial mira &c
The way of the transgrsssor is not onl,
hard: II is long. MaybePthe church hal
preached too much of salvation. and sale
too little righteousness. But death-bes
repentance and ante-mortem godlines'
aside. religion calls for the clean hand ant
the pure heart.