Los Angeles herald., 1907-05-28
SHE GOES WHERE
POLICE DARE NOT
TAKES AUDIENCE THROUGH
LONDON SLUMS
Commander Booth In "Raes" Appeals
to Sympathetic Throne with
Story Of Human
Suffering


Evangeline Booth, the girl Of rags,
the worker in the slums-such was the
Evangeline Both of last night at
Simpsorisaud
Sunday afternoon it was Miss Booth,
the commander of the Salvation Army
in the United States. the daughter OF
the general.
Last night it was the woman of sor-
rows, every inch the daughter of the
general. carrying her vast audience
speIlbound through the slums of Lon
don, where even the police dare not en-
ter. 1t was the frail flower girl attired
in rags from her pretty head to the tat
tered shoes that were on her feet. IL
was the girl who took solace and COM
fort to the weary and the comfortless.
1t was the woman who, If in the mighty
hand of Providence, had not been placed
at the head of a mighty Christian work
would have moved the world by other
powers on the stage. Had not Eva
Booth followed her parents footsteps
in the army and had she chosen the
stage instead, it would have been
great tragedienne that would have been
welcomed to Los Angeles.
Auditorium Packed
Simpson auditorium was never more
closely packed with an interested audi
ence than the one that greeted MISS
Booth last night. Every available chair
was filled and people stood In the aisles
all during the long evening on the main
floor, balcony and on the uppermost
gallery. Here and there the blue he'll
met Of the police and the shining OF
the star of the officer was to be seen,
but the doors were kept open and the
crowd allowed to remain to hear the
wonderful woman who was to tell her
story of rags.
Brigadier Stanyon sang song OF
love, and following this all eyes were
turned expectantly to see Miss Booth,
attired in her costume of rags. Just
little faint tune on an accordion was
heard and presently there appeared at
the side of the stage a shrinking girl, in
ragged shawl covering her shapely
head, a tattered and torn cotton dress
covering her frail form and shoes that
had little left, tied with strings. APP
plause that echoed and re-echoed
| through the vast building greeted the
| girl of rags.
But the tattered dress of coarse ma
| terial the shawl with its great holes,
were forgotten when the speaker COM
menced her story Of the slums as she
had seen them as a flower girl.
Loves the DoWntrooden
"From a small child 1 have loved
those most down. said Miss Booth. Il
have loved the poorest of the poor. ]
| have wanted to get into those places ol
which perhaps you have little IDEA
where the children's cry for breao
| drives the mother mad and where wan
reigns supreme; where eyes never
laugh: where men live like beasts anC
women curse God and die. 1 wanted t.
| tell them that Jesus had come, SO pu
away all that would stand between m'
and them. I visited places where po
licemen would not go. So went as
you see me dressed, sometimes down q
| darkened alley, singing my way along
other times selling flowers.
"I have had many amusing expert
ences of the questions asked me and
of the remarks made. I did have sue
cess in winning the hearts stories, ano
this many could not understand. They
said 1 could not give fair promises mol
| money, for I looked as though l needed
them badly myself.
"Ah yes, 1 carried mystic story,
the secret which I ever carried In my
bosom. Ifwore a wonderful charm and
I have never known 1t to fail, and
bring it to you tonight. This little
bunch of four keys, always hidden ir
|
night I carried always into the darkest
hidden places of vice. Where came
UP against gates that fair promises had
failed with others, 1 never knew one
of nv keys to fail. They are just foul
KEYS! First, love-wonderful word, in
estimable power, greatest, widest ano
deepest of all influences, Gods first
and greatest gift to earth. 1t Is the
foundation rock of all Christianity
Love is power omnipotent, it's breadth
| is infinite.
Lived in Sad Environments
"I rented a room in the heart of the
darkest part of London, surrounded by
sin rampant. 1 had with he lieuten-
ant, stronger and taller than l am
She was a wonderful tower of strength
and always dropped her his where
they should have been and put them In
when they weren't needed. she was
one of the most glorious characters,
and had great influence on my young
life."
Miss Booth told the story of a
mother. dying, and leaving two chill
dren; how she had gone to deep and
dark cellar and taken the babies to
her own little room, cared for them,
fed them and bought clothing for them.
lone day / heard mighty steps on
the sairs," continued the speaker, land
in a minute my lieutenant came in all
out of breath and said the father was
coming and we could hear his steps
approaching the door. She said she
would go down and face him, but said
no, / would go myself I drew myself
up to my full height and never in
NV life would I have given more for
few more inches. l went out and l
could hear his blasphemy before l
could see the man. Then he saw me.
He was a tall, strong man, and he
held up his clenched fist and said
that if / came one step nearer he
would break every bone in my body
and wiring my neck like he would
chicken. =,
"But 1 thought Young man, you will
have to get me first before you do
the wringing.' I felt like shrimp
Hooking up at a whale. l saw his
strength and what brute he was, and
could 1 put those two defenseless chill
dren in his care when he had actually
murdered their mother? Then
thought of my key told him would
not give him the children, but l would
like him to come and see them. Then
we went up the stairs and into the
little room. Plain though it was, the
walls were clean and white There was
a rod tahlecloth on the table.