Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-11-26
HOW SUNDAY
COT RELIGION
AND NEXT DAY EVANGELIST
MADE A oNE.HANDED RUN.
MING CATCH.
IGORDON LATHROP.1

IGORDON LATHROP.]
Des Moines, Ia. Nov. 25.-(SpeciaD
Here is the way Billy Sunday got
religion one night and the next day
made a one.handed running catch for
the old Chicago White SoX that will
stand as long as baseball lasts as one
of the greatest individual plays ever
witnessed:
"Twenty-eight years ago | walked
down a street in Chicago in company
with some ball players who were fam
GUS in this world; some of them are
dead now, and we went into saloon.
1t was Sunday afternoon and we got
tanked up and then went and sat down
on a corner never go by that street
without thanking God for saving me.
It was a vacant lot at that time. We
sat down on curling. Across the
street a company of men and women
were playing on Instruments horns,
flutes and slide trombones-and the
others were singing the gospel hymns
that | used to hear my mother sing
back in the log cabin in Iowa, and
back in the old church where | used
to go to Sunday school.
"And God painted on the canvass of
nv recollection and memory vivid
picture of the scenes of other days and
other faces.
Many have long since turned to
dust. .sobbed and sobbed and a
young man stepped out and said:
eve are going down to the Pacific
garden mission. Won't you come
down? I am sure you will enjoy it.
You can hear drunkards tell how they
have been saved and girls tell how
they have been saved from the red
light district
'.I arose and said to the boys:
''I'm through. I am going to Jesus
Christ. We've come to the parting OF
the ways" and l turned my back on
them.
"Some of them laughed and some Of
them Knocked me; one OF them gave
me encouragement, others said never
word.
ri turned and left that little group
on the corner of State and Madison
streets and walked to the little mis-
sion and fell on my knees and stagger-
ed out of sin and into the arms OF the
Saviour.
''The next day had to go out to the
ball park and practice. Every morn
ing at 10 o'clock we had to be there.
| never slept that night. l was afraid
Of the horse laugh that gang would
give me because had taken my stand
for Jesus Christ.
81 walked down to the old ball
grounds. l will never forget it.
slipped my key into the wicket gate
and the first man to meet me after l
got inside was Mike Kelly
"Up came Mike Kelley and said:
Bill, I'm proud of you. Religion is
not my long suit but I'll help you all
| can. Up came Arson, the best ball
player that ever played the game;
Pfeffer Clarkson, Flint, Jimmy Nc
Cormick, Burns, Williamson and Dali
rymI There wasn't fellow in the
gang who knocked; every fellow had
word of encouragement for me.
THAT afternoon we played the old
Detroit club. We we're neck and neck
for the championship. That club had
Thompson, Richardson, Rowe Dunlap,
Hanlon and Bennett and they could
play ball.
81 was playing right field. Mike
Kelly was catching and John 6. Clark
son was pitching. He was as fine
There are some pitchers today; Ben
der, Wood, Mathewson, Johnson, Mar
guard, but do not believe that any OF
them stood in class with Clarkson.
1--WE had two men out and they had
a man on second and one on third and
Bennett, their old catcher was at bat.
Charlie had three balls and two
strikes on him. Charlie couldn't hit
high ball but he could kill them
when they went about knee high.
hollered to Clarkson:
"'One more and we get EN-
John could put 'em where he want
ed but with the next ball his foot
went down deep into the hold he had
dug with his toe and instead of a high
one, the ball went low.
Il saw Charlie swing hard and heard
the bat hit the ball with terrific
boom. Bennett had smashed the ball
on the nose. l saw the ball rise in the
air and knew it was going clear over
my head. / could judge within ten
feet of where that ball would light.
turned my back to the ball and ran.
"The field was crowded with people
and I yelled Stand back and that
CrOWQ opened up Ike tue heu sea
opened for the rod of Moses. l ran
on and as ran made prayer. It
wasn't theological, either. l can tell
you that. I prayed God, if you ever
helped mortal man, help me to get
that ball and you haven't very much
time to make up your mind either I
ran and jumped over the bench and
stopped.
81 thought I was close enough to
catch it. I looked back and saw it
coming over my head and l jumped
and showed out my left hand and the
ball hit it and stuck. At the rate l was
going the momentum carried me on
and I fell under the feet of team of
horses. jumped up with the ball in
my hands.
up came Tom Johnson who used
to be mayor of Cleveland Toms
dead now. He said: Here's $40, Bill.
Buy yourself the best hat in Chicago.
Tomorrow go and buy yourself the
best suit Of clothes you can find. That
catch won me $1,000 ..