The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1905-12-04
REvIVALISTS IN
The COURT ROOM
Evangelist Asher and His
Wife Appeal to the Pris-
oners in the First Criminal
Court
MRS. ASHER's ADDRESS

AND PRISONERS JOIN IN THE
CHORUSES OF THE HYAfNS--A
STRANGE SCENE.
After addressing three meetings of
prisoners in the County Jail yesterday.
Evangelist William B. Asher and Mrs.
Asher this morning held revival meet
ing in the First Criminal Court room just
before the court proceedings began.
Some weeks before the old Police Head
quarters were abandoned by the police,
the First Criminal Court paraphernalia
was removed to the drill room on the top
floor of the Seventh street station. News
that revival was to be held practically
in connection with the Court proceedings
drew larger crowd than usual. On
Monday mornings especially the court
room is always crowded with prisoners,
complainants, witnesses, lawyers and
curiosity seekers. On account of Sunday
following close upon the heels of Satur-
day night and no court being held on
Sundays. the list of prisoners is very
much larger on Monday than on any 9TH
er day of the week. A dozen or more
drunks, outcasts and women who had
indulged in clothes-line fights etc., who
sat within the rallied enclosure designat-
ed as s'the pen," along with the lobby,
paid respectful attention to the splendid
appeal Of Mrs. Asher to "mend their
ways" Two women occupied bench
reserved for women prisoners. Mr..
Asher did not make an address. He
merely appealed to the peculiar audience
to pay heed to the appeal Of his wife,
and endeavored to arouse all present to
join heartily in the choruses Of the
hymns sung by Mrs. Asher. The latter
accompanied herself on the portable or
gan presented her by the saloon keepers
of St. Paul, MINI. Mr.. Asher stood up
on a chair begging all to join in the
choruses Of "The Kings Business" the
great hymn of the present revival, copies
of which had been distributed to every
one in the courtroom. Mothers Pray
er," and 81 Have No Mother To Kiss
Ne Now" His first efforts were almost
fruitless.
'"rhat won't do, fellows! want you
to join in these choruses. and want
you to sing them from your hearts. Af-
ter four or five successive appeals the
evangelist had everybody in the court
room singing, for by this time they had
familiarized themselves with the air of
the choruses. Even the policemen sang
and Police Justice Higgins joined in. 1t
was one Of the strangest scenes in po-
lice court in this city.
Mrs. Asher said in part
II want you men and women incar-
cerated here to regard me as much as
possible as your mothers. Mother loved
each one of you with all her heart, and
you no doubt think no other can love
you so much. But God loves you even
more than your mother. So Var as in
fuencing your life is concerned
on this earth, her love ends at the grave,
but God loves you forever. He gave His
only begotten Son, who died on the cross
in order that you might be saved from
eternal perdition. He alone can break
all the shackels and fetters of sin and
make free men of you all. You prison
ers, if you had accepted the holy spirit
of God, you would not be here. I beg
of you, as messenger of God, to lead
better lives and become respectable citi-
zens, no matter what your creed. We
are not proselyting. God has the power
to give you the strength, which you now
lack. You plead here in this court room
for leniency and hope for it. What
about when you face your God and
Maker and He calls you to account for
a Life spent in sin? What will be
your apswer9.