The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-04-23
MAN he CONVERTED
SAVES EVANGELIST
The Rev. g. w. Briggs, Once Famous
Orator, Is Arrested Charged With
Petty Theft-Texan Goes Bail.

NEW YORK, April 23.-"Cast thy
bread upon the waters. for thou shalt
flnd 1t after many days" murmured
the Rev. George w. Briggs. until q
few years ago one OF the most clio
Quent clergymen in the Southern
Methodist conference, as he stood be-
.ore Magistrate House in the Ieffer
son Market court charged with petit
larceny. Until that moment he had
stood alone, but the friend In need
appeared, a man who many years ago
In Texas had been converted under
his preaching.
The man was Walter s. Mayer.
chief postal inspector for the New
York district. When Mr.. Mayer read
In the morning papers OF the arrest OF
the clergyman while trying TO sell
some cheap atomizcrs througnt to
have been stolen from a drug store.
he FASTENED TO his rescue. All the
way to the Yorkvtlle court, then to
the West Side court, and finally to
the Jefferson Market court, his mind
was busy with those devil-may-care
days down In Texas when he had nc
special aim In life. and then OF the
burning words OF the evangelist
which had set him TO thinking and
given him a purpose. When the pris
oner was called MIR. Mayer stood UP
with him, unrecognized by either tho
minister or his son. Wood Briggs
with whom the prisoner lived.
Detective Frank Flynn told the
magistrate that he had arrested the
minister at Fffteenth-st. and Third
ave. while trying TO sell lhreo atom
iZers, which had been stolen from tho
pharmacy OF Henry Bohmfalk, OF No
$50 Third-ave. When told that Mr..
Briggs was once highly honoe6
minister who had gradually lost step
with his people and that he was now
without influential friends, Magistrate
House vas evidently impressed
This is indeed a sad case. but
We'll all be better protected by having
the druggist come here and say that
ne has no complaint to make he
said when told that II was not likely
that Mr. Bohmfalk would prosecute.
When he continued the case. Wood
Briggs, the son, asked that the bail
be made low.
The lowest possible, $780, re-
spolded the magistrate Can you get
some one to 60 on the bond?"
This prisoner" interpose0 Mr..
Mayer at this point, addressing the
me- gistrate, was In his time one of
the most eloquent and stirring OF pull
pit orators. When | was rather a
wild young man in Galveston | hap
pened one day 10 go into one OF his
11n YAnN hn ant -
way he said It gave me new purpose
In life | was converted and became
Christian under his ministry. I
was distressed, as you may imagine
when | read in the papers this morn
ing that he had been arrested. ! has
tened here to do everything In ny
power for him. want to repay him
In some measure at least for what he
did for me-"
The minister listened with astonish
ment.
Who are your" he asked, his voice
trembling with emotion.
II am one who knew you when
your chief aim was to help others,
and you were leader your de-
nomination" replied Mr.. Mayer, and
i nOpc W bcb yOu OU yOuI ttcl utdlU.
Mr.. Mayer promptly signed the bail
bond and the father and son with the
benefactor left the court When Mr..
Briggs could control his emotion SUI.
ficiently TO speak he insisted on Mr..
Mayors recalling the circumstance
OF his conversion, hoping TO ts able
to recall him to memory.
Mr.. Briggs was graduated from the
University OF Alabama In 1SS. In .
few years his eloquence and success
as an evangelist had won for him
recognition as one OF the foremost
ministers OF his denomination In the
aouth. and he was assigned to one OF
the largest and richest churches In
New Orleans. For IL years honors
were showered upon him, but his
health gave way under the exacting
duties. and he began to drink. flnally
retiring from the ministry.
Two months ago, he turned up in
toxicated one night at the old Jerry
McAuley mission la Water.st. He
was urged TO tell his experience. The
conductors of the mission did not
know him. believing him To be one
of the usual Bowery derelicts He
arose and began speaking. Soon his
words took on some OF their old Are
and the drunkards who heard him Eel
on their knees In contrition. while
the fashionable visitors TO the mission
marvelle dat the eiOGuence OF the
Il