The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1906-04-07
MR.. TIMERS FALL
FROM GRACE
IOriginall

Tinker was his uane-Everarl Leroy
Tinker-and a more spiritual man had
never come TO our city. His forehead
was broad and high: hiy eyes were
large enough and blue enough and soft
enough for an angel I believed in
him then. and l believe in him now
The moment a man sets himself up 10
he spiritual guide for others we i'm
mediately put him on pinnacle of our
own from which he shall shed the light
Of perfection. He is no longer d man
ike ourselves. but a superior being
freed from earthly passions, earthly
weaknesses.
Tinker was an evangelist, was fitted
to be an evangelist and was fitted for
nothing else than an evangelist. He
chose for his specially prison life.
When he came to Us there was not
even a regular prison chaplain. none
being willing TO take the position for
the pay and the regular ministers be-
ing otherwise occupied. Tinker walk
ed into it Of his own accord and Oc-
cupied it without remuneration. How
he got living we never knew. That
he lived from hand TO mouth was GER
tain. After praying in a saloon and
warning its proprietor that lie was do
ing the devils work the holy man
would be invited to partake of the
free lunch on the counter, and in this
way he secured many dinner. For
short periods he would occupy Il sleep
ing room, but the landlady did not ex-
pect him to pay from the first All she
asked was that he would not stand in
the way Of a paying lOdger, and she
would often have been the loser had
Tinker permitted it,
In such ways Tinker managed to ex-
ist, and so long as he could fight sin
and give comfort to prisoners, possibly
turning them toward better life after
serving their terms, he was satisfied.
He prayed with them, he talked with
them, he advised them, being q re-
pOSitOry for the confidence of the whole
prison. He had free access to them,
and both guards and prisoners all
knew him.
No one had ever thought Of Tinker as
husband or father. When Ole day a
woman with a scowl on her face and
an underjaw denoting resolution came
along to claim him as her spouse
great was our establishment. Her ap-
pearance had a paralyZing effect upon
Tinker. Those whom he had extorted
to stand up under calamity now en-
deavored to instill a like firmness into
him, but without success. The wo-
man went to the court, produced di-
vorce papers with alimOny and proved
that S654 was due her from the de-
linquent Tinker. She had little diff
Guilty in getting an order for his ar
rest, and he was required to give a
! for the coming year, in all about ST.
600.
Had any one confidence that Tinker
would be able to make up the amount
we might have gone on his bond. As
it was, the judge sent him to the work
house to. work out the amount Mean
while Tinker was confined in the city
Jail where he had been the self con-
stituted chaplain. Why he had not
applied for that or some other such po-
! sitiOn was now made clear. The wO-
man with the square mouth and the
beetling brow stood ready to pounce
upon his salary before it was due.
The method Of obtaining a living he
had chosen gave him a freedom that
must have been relatively delightful.
took it upon myself to go to Mrs.
Tinker to see IL could soften her OBJ
durate heart. The volley Of words she
poured upon me / can only liken to
that Of a Calling gun. l retired in
| gloriOusly, at the same time resolving
never again to interfere in domestic
| troubles. 1t was all up with Tinker
and he was doomed to spend term at
work for which he was by no means
| fitted and forego work at which he
was doing great good.
We had no wOrkhouse in our city and
used that of a neighboring town. Once
| a week those persons who were to GO
| there were collected. marched to the
| 0DldCk Mdrld, uTINeu 10 lue SJdlEOu,
put on the train and taken TO their new
! place of confinement One morniD g
nine prisoners, including Tinker, were
| thus driven to the train. On being IN
loaded they were marched inside the
station and put in care Of a keeper,
who was to take further charge OF
them.
= 1t is here where Tinker fell under
temptation. But who less than an an
gel would not have fallen? On the one
hand a prison to which he had been
| consigned by a virago, on the other
! liberty. At the moment he alighted
from the black Maria the keepers
back was turned. When the official
saw him on the platform, supposing
/ him to be there in his capacity as
evangelist, he said:
GOOD morning. Mr.. Tinker"
! An inSniratioO came to the prisoner