The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-07-22
The Jerry MeAuIey Mision.

A story that win stir THE hearts Of
men, women and children is told by Ray
stauard Baker in The July American
Magazine Il is the account Of the
founding Of Mission" BY Jerry Me-
Auley. The story Is as follows;
As boy, Jerry Mckinley never
had a chance. Everything was against
him He had grown zap IN the
worst possible environment, where his
heroes were thieves and his instruc-
tors were druukards; an environment
which still EXISTS in New York for
Thousands Of boys and young men. Be-
fore lie was twenty years old he had
reached the natural result Of such a ca
reer and had been sentenced to Sing
Sing prison for fifteen years and six
months A rude preacher Of that day
was Awful Gardner former prize
fighter and tough whom Jerry had
known as boy Gardner came TO
preach to the pensioners at Sing Sing
telling his own story in his own way
It was a rough sort Of personal con-
viction that be had and he knew the
life Of the men before him. Jerry
WAS touched and his conduct and life
we're Immediately changed, % much 20
that he was pardoned by Governor Dix
When he left the prison he bad no
place to 60 except 70 bis Old haunts III
the Bowery and no friends 70 look after
iiims and not mnafurallY he fell vie-
tim again to the environments into
which he was so heartlessly cast. For
II r.
worse than he had ever been before One
night he overheard a missionary preach
Ell talking with a w0mans be said that
he heard only one word. the name IT
Jesus; and he decided again 10 reform.
He went with tile missionary that night
and signed the pledge, but the next day
he found it no easier to earn q living
honestly than he had before for hes
had no training and no knowledge 81
an honest life. Nor did he have q
single friend who knew how To make
living except by stealing. After q
day or two Of trial the Bowery again
overwhelmed him and he deliberately
abandoned his idea Of reforming and
set out with a companion On maraud
ing expedition. By chance the two met
the missionary, who said:
Jerry, where are you going
i can't staryc, said Jerry sullenly
Jerry, said the missionary, come
with me- | will pawn this coat before
i will see you starve
Jerry looked the coat over and saw
that it would not bring City cents at
the pawn shop Then he said;
eff you think enough al me to do
that TIL die before ] steal
From that moment ha began TIE
hard upward struggle Five different
times he fell and became Tiotous drunk.
but be kept doggedly at 1t and finally
succeeded. -Four years later after he
thoroughly sehooled and tested him
SELF, he started bis little mission Atl
first he met every sort Of ridieule,
and persecution; at ona time
hot Goals were thrown out Of q window
Upon him, but he continued every night
to tell his story TO the crowds of buns
and toughs who gathered IN his small
room, Il was the simplest kind OF
story Of individual salvation through
faith in God.
Ever since then the meetings have
continued, not Sundays only, with AL
closed church during the remainder II
the week, but every day in the year
with mission open from early morn
ing until late at night Jerry died wears /
ago. but his work has gone around the
world, the idea Of the rescne mission
having ben adopted IN scores Of cities