The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-04-23
m ne Converted
|slv[s EVANGELIST
y Rev. q. W. Briggs, Once Famous
ks<or. Il Arrested Charged With
f1stty Theft-Texan Goes Bail.

III NEW IOhk, April 81 NaH' ~
o1osd upon the waters. for thou shalt
IS "a Il after many days" murinured
<<1&o Rev. George w. Briggs. until
IS - years aRo one OF the most elo-
cent clergymsn In the Southern
8 11uthodist conference. as he stood be-
4 10 MAGISTRATE House in the Jefer-
&n<n Market court charged with petty
<tceny. Until that moment he had
u(ood alone, but the friend In need
b o6oeared, a man VINO many years ago
~ Texas had been converted under
~ preaching.
The man was Walter S. Mayer.
chief postal inspector for the New
York district. When Mr.. Mayer read
u the morning papers OF the arrest OF
~ clergyman while trying TO sell
n ocome cheap atomizers thought To
have been stolen from a drug store,
~ fastened TO his rescue. All the
Nay 20 the Yorkville court, then TO
1he West Side court. and finally 10
tn Jefferson Market court. his mind
/. Nlns busy with those devilmsy-care
days down In Texas when he had no
* sreciai aim In life. and then o, the
burning words OF the evangelist.
which had set him to thinking and
given him a purpose. When the pris-
o1er was called Mr.. 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 Fifteenth-st. and Third
ave while trying To sell threc atom
txers. which had been stolen from tho
pharmacy OF Henry Bohmfalk. OF No
go Third-ave. When told that Mr..
Briggs was once highly honoreG
minister who had gradually lost step"
With his people and that he was now
without influential friends. Magistrate
House was evidently impressed.
This IL indeed a sad case. but
VII all be better protected by having
the druggist come here and say that
10 has no complaint to make ne
Daid when told that IL 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-
sppnded the magistrate. Can you get |
same one To go on the bond?"
This prisoner" interpose6 Mr.. |
Mayer at this point. addressing the
mtgistrate. was In his time one of |
IL most eloquent and stirring Of pull
DR. orators. When I was rather a
Wild young man In Galveston ] hap
poned one day to go into one OF his |
bible classes. What he said and the |
WY he said II. gave me a new purpose |
A life. I was converted and became |
" Christian under his ministry +
Wos distressed. as you may Imagine
when read in the papers this morn
lne that he had been arrested. l has
tened here to do everything In M
poWer for him. I want to repay hin. !
"A some measure at least for what he |
did for me-"
I The minister listened with astonish |
mont.
who sre your" he asked. his voice |
trembling with emotion.
81 am one who knew ynu-Yhen !
your chief aim was to help others, |
and you were a leader In your de- |
nomination,v replied Mr.. Mayer, "and |
J hope to set you on your feet again
Mr.. Mayer promptly signed the bail |
bond and the father and son with the |
bcnefactor left the eeuFt When Mr.
Brfggs could control his emotion suf. |
nciently to speak he insisted on Mr.. |
Mayors recalling the circumstances |
or his conversion. hoping TO IL able |
TO recall him to memory.
Mr.. Briggs was graduated from the |
University OF Alabama In 1878. In a |
few years hts eloquence and success |
e. an evangelist had won for him |
recognition as one OF the foremost |
ministers of his denomination IN the /
routh, and he was assigned to one OF l
the largest and richest churches III
New Orleans. For ~ years honors i
wRre showered upon him. but his
health gave way under the cxacting |
duties, and he began to d.ink. flnally
retiring from the ministry.
Two months ago he turned up In
tckicated 6ne nigh, at the old Jerry
NcAuley mission In Water-st. He
WIS 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 fire
and the drunkards who heard him fel.
on their knees In contrition. while
the fashionable visitors to the mission
marvelled at the elouence Of the
nhabbily dressed mai
When he had finished they prevail.
( "a upon him to write out his exhorta.
ton. He did so and now the mission
~ handing out printed copies ~ the
s9rmon OF two months.