Los Angeles herald., 1907-03-05
GHOSTS YANK HIM
OUT OF HIS BED
MAN HAS RELIGION THRUST
UPON HIM
Sees Things and Changes His Ways
In Mighty Big Hurry, Fear
ing Future Goblin
Visits

Visits
Harry Jones of 663 Lamar street has
seen things, or at least says he has.
A force, a white light from the heavens
and a still small voice telling of the
rightful way, are factors in the strange
experience which Mr. Jones relates,
and which is best told in his own
simple narrative.
ut is not a vision, but a reality that
has come over me and has transformed
me from an lrreligous and drinking
man to follower of Christianity.
II was the only one Of our family
who was saved in the Johnstown flood.
was then IA years old and was
Obliged to work my way from that time
to this. l sold papers in New York and
then came to San Francisco, where
worked at the same business for some
time. I drifted from one thing to an
other, being a hard worker and at the
same time n drinking and a profane
man.
About one year ago | was married
My wife is Il Christian and belongs 20
the German Methodist church and
have made all manner of fun of her in
her devotions. / have been an unbe-
lever of the worst kind, as my wife
and shopmates at the Southern Pacific
round house can testify. About every
other word l spoke was an oath and l
drank much, but not to the degree that
l could not work.
Goes to Church
MY wife begged of me to go to-
church with her, but l was inclined to
be out with the boys on a good time.
But 1 have been to church a few times
within a week at the Apostolic church,
the next door, and last Friday night at
the church q man said these words.
This is the real stuff and I wish to
meet God half way 1 said in very
sacrilegious way so they all heard me,
Why don't you get a step ladder to
help you up?
Last night 1 went to the church
with my wife and baby, but soon went
outside and smoked cigarettes to pass
away the time.
After a while they coaxed me into
the church to sing solo, the first one
ever sang in a church in my life, my
wife accompanying me on the organ.
Following my solo I became interested
in the reading of the Scripture by the
pastor, Rev. j. w. Sykes. A change |
seemed to come over me with the SEN |
sations, as near as l can describe it, |
like thief being pursued and that l
was fighting to escape, but could not. |
l was denouncing Christ to myself, as
l had been for years, because he had
not come up to my ideas of his prom |
ises in the Bible. I was all of a trem- |
BILE and afraid to stay in the church |
until the service closed.
Lifted Out of Bed
II went to bed last night with a
strange doubt in my mind of the re-
ality of Christ and fighting 1t in my
antagonism of Christianity. But we
had not been in bed but few moments
before 1, was lifted bodily from bed
by a dark object which placed me on
my feet near the bed and then led me
by the hand to the next room and there
came around me a brilliant white light
and at this instant another dark form
met me at my right and Immediately |
and the other form disap-
peared through the back door, heaven |
ward, and 1 stood spellbound looking |
at the brilliant ray of light that came |
in the track of the object that ascend |
ed. l seemed fastened to the spot and |
could not move as I gazed for about
ten minutes at the brilliancy before |
and about me. When 1 could speak
was outside in the rain. 1 called for
help and as the church was just letting
out Brother Sykes assisted me into the |
house in a strangely changed condi- |
tion. He was with me few minutes
and I again went to bed, but not to |
sleep. That same object that pulled me
out of bed talked to me in some Ian
guage like Latin and I could trans
cribe it, and if l had had a pencil and
paper I could have written every word
of it, but it has now gone from me
and I cannot recall it.
But these were all from no humble
motives of mine. I had never bowed
my knee in repentance and was fight
ing all the time the reliability of
Christ 1t seems to me that this
change has come over me to show me
and others of the reality of Christ, as
saw him last night and that he can
change the life of a person. AS near as 1
can describe it my body was all on
fire and burned out the impurities, and
1 feel entirely cleansed.
Loses Liquor Craving
even the thought of cigarette
makes me almost sick. I have had no
desire for either tobacco or liquor to-
day for the first time in many years.
IT tell all this, not for notoriety, and
L am sure that many will make all
manner of fun of me. but / care not
for that so long as 1 have received
such a benefit and hope that others
will be taught as I have BEEN"
At the close of his narrative, told in
a simple, straightforward manner in
the presence of his happy wife, Mr.
Jones left with his wife for the little
church next door, where he took part
in the service.
Rev. Joshua Sykes, pastor of the lit
tie Apostolic church flock, has been
teaching for the past five months doc
trines that lead up to visions such as
Mr.. Jones relates, and the congrega-
ton looks upon the visitation as a di-
rect answer to their prayers
An independent Baptist church was
the organization that Mr.. Sykes took
charge of, but from time to time the
crowd has been altered much along
the same lines as the First New Testa-
ment church, organized by Rev. Joseph
Smale, formerly pastor of the First
Baptist church.
The "gift of tongues" which so agi-
tated the church people a few months
ago, is quite common thing at the
Apostolic church, the members looking
on 1t as a promise made to those fol-