The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1913-09-13
The Story Of Ba|dvln's Conversion


gins d new series of articles en-
titled, Those Who Have Come
Back" 1t is series showing how
men and women, down and out,
failures or disgraced at forty. have
taken new hold on life and are
today reputable and helpful men,
bers of the community. The first
story In the series is about Lucky
Baldwin, a celebrated New York
sport and confidence man who
was converted good many years
ago in the Jerry McAuley Mission,
and now runs mission of his own
In Chicago. Following is the story
of Baldwin's first connection with
3 gospel meeting. which he fell in
to for the purpose of getting free
coffee and sandwiches. The story
goes on:
HE sat through large part of
this meeting in kind of estial
slumber. but with occasional lucid
Intervals, when he stared about
stupidity. heard the testimonies that
men around him were, giving. and
cot some glimmering idea Of the
picture OF a clean Life that was
setng painted.
As he listened in his maudlin
way some sense Of what it meant
cot through Lucky's ridged and
knotted skull. He weighed it all
swiftly against his own game, and
concluded that the new scheme was
bstter. The leader of the meeting
wAs deaf. and was wearing thing
IKE telephone receiver upon his
head.
Tell dat guy to telephone TO
0Awd dat I'm a-comin',' Lucky
ciJled out as he rose and went
lNreAing up the aisle. He sank
o. his knees with row of suppl
c4nts. and was soon asleep.so that
wen Mr.. Wyburn. the superinten-
dat OF the mission. who himself
h1d been reclaimed from drunken
sness upon that floor, came to him,
he lad to be awakened. AS Mr..
Wyburn. kneeling before the poor
wretch, told the story Of the suffer
in1e Of the One who went to the
Cross, and that It was all for him.
L1cky felt himself strangely moved.
a lump came into his throat. He
swallowed at 1t in vain. Something
ecaldiHE hot was washing down his
cheeks and splashing on the stained
bottom Of the chair. Lucky gazed
q these drops In surprise for a
moment without recognising them.
They we're tears. his tears,the first
NJ had shed since boyhood.
Now pray the publican's pray
=. 1gpther.' advised Mr.. Wyburn.
Is - surprise, the drunkard
49, up hotly, his face like red
and angry sun. 4 amt no Republi-
can. he declared. with, look of
loAthfng; then added. proudly, I'm
: Democrat; that's what I am,
evxy time
This revealed two things, the
mania deplorable ignorance and his
admirable loyalty. Lucky was an
adherent OF the Tammany organiza-
ton. Here was a subject upon
which he had convictions. He would
not have prayed a Republican pray
q 70 get himself out of the lowest
hs9l.
Yet Lucky did pray that night,
and then got up and rocked out
int the street. The missionaries
had given him a bed ticket. but
he was afraid to go to bed. He
walked the streets all night. and
HI feelings were the strangest that
had over come to him. He thou
sht OF his wasted life, caught a
vision of its. awfulness. and terrible
Te1hofses overwhelmed him, while
Ne dreamed at times Of getting some
honest work to do among Christian
people. The idea of turning back,
sfter his new resolutions there in
the mission. never once occurred, to
him. Lucky was not a gutter. He
had played one string out to the
sad. Now he was entering upon
snofher."