Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-17
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from 'Crook" 10 Qreacber.
Rev Henry o. Wills, Noted Prison Evangelist in his
City to Talk to Men With Whose Ex-
periences He is Familiar.
,eriences He is Familiar.

about the prayer that proves its vaue-I
had almost said its immortality-it is that
no matter how vicious or how wicked a
man or woman may become. the text OF
that prayer is never forgotten after IL
has once been committed to memory
Later In his life, as most young boys do.
he was of much aid to his mother In run
ming errands. But, he says. after a time
he became wayward and unru!y and OPP
posed his mother. who would plead with
him 10 attend school more regularly and
also TO go to Sunday school each Sabbath
morning. Mr.. Wills says:
Il wish to say that the most fatal mis-
take that possibly be made by boys
or girls is to neglect whatever school priv
leges may be offered them. as to my
knowledge nine-tenths of the beginnings of
crime come because of the shiftless aim
less and degrading hours brought about
through failure TO go to school.
AS a boy young Wills went to New York
city. where he took up selling newspapers
upon the streets. and there, with the new
sies.' he says. he learned many of the
tricks of the street. He was afterward a
bootblack. and here his deviltry' com
menced. Upon one particular occasion he
says a gentleman was walking down tEe
street near the shoe-blacking stand where
young Wills was employed. and soon
as he noticed the immacula tie attire of the
approaching man a desire to ruin the color
of the garment manifested itself at once
In a moment he seized a bottle of shoe
polish, and the passerby approached
wills threw the contents of the bottle
hi coat and ran away at top speed In
order to escape his wrath. glorying In the
inconvenience he had caused him. As a
boy about twelve he obtained a position
In a theater in New York a chore boy.
1t was here, he states, that he received
much good advice from the eminent ira
gedian of his day. John b. Scott. Later
Charlotte Cushman and other noted ac-
tresses gave him much sound advice, but
to this the boy approaching young man
hood paid but little attention. his after
life so plainly shows.
When he stepped later into life that
lead to the jail and other places OF con-
fnement Mr.. Wills says the reason was
that the devil was my master, and he was
determined that I should n0t see and know
that these kind souls were my friends. The
devil was my master. 1 had to obey him;
he lived in me; he was stronger than L
and made me do his Will.
Then began, according to Mr.. Wits. his
record as a sneak thief convict, a soldier.
a bounty jumper. faker and ward heeler
and plugugly. and lastly his CONVEX
sion to the gospel of Jesus Christ and his
subsequent life for the gathering of souls
into the vineyard of his Master. When he
reformed. after accepting the teachings of
God. Mr.. Wills says
For nine years l had been known in
Detroit as a tough wicked as the worst
Of Them ready to fight at the drop of
hat; absolutely shameless in my devotion
to vice: drunk most of the time: and dis,
graceful the rest of the time. In brief
was a faithful servant of the devil, doing
quickly and to the best of my ability what
ever he told me to do. Consequently you
may be sure no cannon ball train or last
mail service was required to quickly spread
the news of my conversion all over every
part of the beautiful2city OF the 'straits?"
"Then began to catch it: Then | learned
the force OF Have you counted the cost
There was hardly block any street
of the city that 1 did not hear, Come.
Wills, have drink and 1 thanked God
not one of those invitations from that time
hoe received from other
than negative answer. When l would
say to my old cronies that | would not
drink that / was through with beer and all
liquors then they began to call me "A
crank. a crazy bgot and a Salvation Army
lunatic Crank. crank the most fire.
quent cry, and l could only say Well a
crank is something that turns a thing
round and upside down. and l thank God
he has seen fit to make of me crank TO
do my share of upsetting the devil and all
that is his.