The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1911-04-12
ANSWER PRAYER
The Power Of Speech Was Restored te a
Han at Westminster, S. c.
dumb FOR THREE YEARS

Like the MarFelS OIL Ear1S CHfiStl@A
Days, Reads Story of Mr.. Drayton
Poore, Who, Dumb, Speaks Again,
the Thorn in the Flesh Having
Been Removed.
A letter from Westminster to the
News and Coruier says without ques-
ton the most conspicuous man in up
per South Carolina to-day is Mr..
Thomas Drayton Poore. He had this
unabating conspiciousness since the
Afternoon of Feb. {, 1911. 1t does
not dwindle in the least, but rather
grows greater as the circle covering
the knowledge Of his experience
grows wider. People from different
parts of the state and the neigh boring
State of Georgia have come in nuns
bers to Westminster for the sole pur-
pose of looking on the person OF this
new marked man. Letters have been
received by the hundreds making in
quiry about him.
The thing that has brought Mr..
Poore into the lime light is the sud-
den restoration Of speech, OF which
he had been totally deprived for al
most three years. To be more ca
act, the thing that has pointed him
out as a CONSPICUOUS character is not
the simple fact of the restoration OF
speech, but the circumstances under
which his speech was restored, and
more especially the cause that is be-
lieved to have been behind it and
responsible for it. A brief history
of the case Of Mr.. Poore will tell the
story and put before the reader the
evidence upon which the claim OF a
miracle is posted.
Mr.. Poore, who is one Of the most
reputable men of the town and coun-
ty in which he lives, began to lose
the power of speech on the 11th day
OF April, 1908, and continued to grow
worse in this respect until on the
18th day of December of that year he
was utterly unable to make an audi
bic sound, even in the form of whis-
per. The physicians told him that 1t
was the result Of case Of nervous
indigestion that had been troubling
him for long time. Mr.. Poore was
unable to make single sound in the
nature of speech until the afternoon
of February II, 1911. 1t is the re-
turn Of the power Of speech, espec-
ially in the light Of the circumstances
of it's return, and, as it is confidently
believed by all, the cause of its return
that makes Mr.. Poore TO be subject
Of great interest at this time.
The circumstances are these: There
was protracted service in progress
at the Baptist chuch in Westminster,
of which Mr.. Poore is member and
officer. The services were being con-
Quoted by the Rev. S. E. Stephens, a
returned missionary Of that denomi-
nation. On the afternoon Of the tn
Of February, at a very quiet meeting
in which prayer was the predomt-
mating feature, Mr.. Poore wrote on a
slip Of paper & request that prayer be
offered for him that God would give
him grace to bear his affection. Al
tention was called to the fact that It
might be Gods will to restore to him
his voice, and this was Lade the bur
den of the prayers offered at tha,
time. Like Paul Of old, the brethren
prayed that the "thorn of the flesh
might be removed, but if it was not
for the glory of God that it be re-
moved that their brother might be
given grace to bear it to Gods glory
anG praise.
After the season Of prayer was
over, without asking if the answer
had been given, the leader announced
a hymn. and none was more Sur
prised, perhaps, than Mr.. Poore to
find that he could join in the singing
with as strong and melodious voice
as any one present. The amazemenr
was startling when Mr.. Poore, just
as the minister was about to dismiss
the congregation, rushed to the plat
form, lifted his hand and began to
tell, with lips that had been speech
less for three years, of how wonder
fully God had answered the prayers
of His people on that occasion. At
the request Of Mr.. Poore the consre-
CATION sang, Nearer, My God, to
Thee and 'Praise God, from Whom
All Blessings Flow" the subject of
the blessing leading the singing with
a thrill in his voice that by that con-
gregation was never heard on land or
sea.
IF any one imagines that there was
any drag in the meeting after that
they are quite mistaken. An ovation
was rendered Mr. Poore on the
ground, and as the remarkable Incl
dent spread through the town and
surrounding country multitudes
thronged the streets. delegation after
delegation met him on his way home,
or called on him after he reached
home. The house was packed at night
with people. who, like the Jews in
Bethany that came not for Jesus
sake only, but to see Lazarus whom
He had raised from the dead, came
not for the meetings sake only, but
that they might see the man who had
received such tangible and apparent
blessing in answer tc prayer that had
been offered in that house.
The crowds still come to MI.
Poore's home and such an occurrence
in the life of one so we'll and so fav-
orably known, and IN denomination
that is noted for its conservativeness
and ouietude, and yet in the life of a
man with such an implicit and abid-
ing faith in the promises Of God, has
received nc other explanation than
that God was pleased to hear the cry
OF His people and answer them 'ac-