Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-03
SMITH SAYS GOODBYE
Evangelist Thanks All Who
Have Aided His Work.
DENOUNCES DRINK HABIT
Says Divorce Evil Will Send This Ma
ton to Devil.
TELLS OF HIS LIFE AS GYPSY
What He Has Accomplished Praised
by Rev. Dr. Muir and Commits
sioner mcfarland.
TELLS OF HIS LIFE AS GYPSY

Gypsy Smith the English evangelist
said a public farewell to Washington last
night
He returned thanks to those who worked
with him and expressed qualification at
the results of the two weeks mission. In
his presence a minister and a layman de-
clared Washington is the richer for his
coming, and the results of his meetings
will be permanent
In his final public address, From Gypsy
Tent to Pulpit he denounced indulgence
in intoXicants. theatergoing card playing,
dancing and the divorce evil in America
He made the hall ring with laughter, and
then covered the eyes before him with
tears.
Unless you American people hold the
marriage tie a little firmer your nation
will go to the devil he shouted to that
audience that filled Convention Hall
Gods law concerning marriage cannot
be altered. Woe be unto the man or the
woman who tries to set it aside
When Gypsy Smith rose, after the pres
entation by DR.. j. J. Muir of the Temple
choir waved a handkerchief. Those in the
audience, quick to catch the spirit OF
the greeting, rose to give him a rousinS
Chautauqua salute.
Distrib utes His Thanks
MY Introductory remarks shall be
words of thanksgiving" he began, Il
want TO tender my thanks to the minis
tiers and the laymen of the city who
formed the committee which has stood by
me in this glorious campaign.
Il said at the beginning it was their
mission. And the victory is theirs.
want to thank the magnificent choir and
the leader. Mr.. Foster and the accom-
panists, for their splendid work behind
me. / should like to take them all with
me.
IF l were a millionaire l would have
million airs. | have never had q better
choir in my life.
Il want to thank Mr.. Johnson and his
magnificent usherS. who managed the
crowds and kept them pleasant. They
have done their work splendidly. Then
want to thank the band of personal
workers under Mr. Smith. Their work
was the hardest of all; they have done
their work we'll
Il want to thank the doorkeepers-
they've done their work royally-and the
policemen and fremen and the superin-
tendent of this building. I want to
thank the people for letting me hit them
so hard and receiving the knocks in the
spirit in which they have been spoken
And now l come to the men of the
press. / believe they have helped lots of
people 10 COlHe 10 Jesus CnIlSl. 1ney
have not only written about these meet
ings. but have entered into the spirit of
them
Character of the Gypsy.
Next he turned to the gypsy people
those from whom he sprang. No people
are more shrouded in mystery, more mis-
understood than the Sypsies, he said
They have been much maligned, he said
ligiously. educationally.
1.-The gypsies are not the people they
are painted" he declared You never
heard of a gypsy breaking into a bank,
or reorganizins one either. You never
heard of gypsy going through field
and finding piece of rope with horse
at the end
they're not: they're good finders. Some
body in Washington has taken 400 hymn
books; they're good finders. The gypsies
pilfer; that is one of their sins.
Morally, no people stand SO high as
the gypsies. You never read of a gypsy
divorce-and we've no Bibles. Unless you
American people hold the marriage tie
a little firmer your nation will go to the
devil. Gods law concerning marriage
cannot be altered; woe be unto the man
ami the woman who try to set it aside.
MY people pilfer and they swear: but
they are not the only ones who swear
And they drink. But the biggest SIM the
one that keeps them more away from
Christ than anything else is fortune tell
ing. And you Christian people pay them
to do 1t. But my people are being con-
We ed."
Here he turned to his own life, describ-
ing his birth in a gypsy tent and his boy
hood. Here are some of his comments as
he proceeded with his discourse.
Selfshness, Drink and Divorce.
Say. women, if you want to do little
Dit of Christ's work, give up nursing a
dog and nurse baby. I'll find you a
job If you come to me. Bless that wom-
an, Mrs. Smalley of the American Saliva
ton Army branch here, who is nursing
little babies.
You young people. if you've a mother,
value her. Don't think you can starve
her for the want Of love you don't give
her and make it up by placing a wreath
on her coffin Put some of the flowers
into her hands while she is living. I"
I'm a life teetotaler. And l never
smoked in my life. AS for chewing"-he
held up both hands.
LAS for the rum habit, I'd choke the
devil with the last bottle. and I'd come
to some of your cellars for the bottle.
have no use for the man who prays, Thy
kingdom come on Sunday and goes out
and votes for the saloon the next day.
And / am just as sound on the the
ater Do you think Jesus Christ would
sit and giggle at woman in tights?
And l am just as sound on dancing. l
know you say the Bible recognizes dane
! ing. But II was dancing once, too,
Il was born at the bottom, and that's
no disgrace Some of you were born at
/ the top, and that's an accident
I'D rather work and stumble than do
nothing but grumble.
Conversion of Evangelist.
| He described his method of living the
life of the nomad, how his mother was
stricken with smallpox and how. she
was dying. she sang a hymn which she
had heard in her girlhood. had forgotten
during the years of her womanhood and
motherhood but which came from her
lips when she was on her deathbed.
That changed the life of his father and
he five motherless children. he said. His
/ fathers conversion followed. and he was
converted in his teens. Then he told of
the invitation of Commander Booth of
| the Salvation Army for him to become
an evangelist and of his acceptance.
| And my closing words to you are, Let
/ God have His way
! Tributes were paid to the gypsy evan