Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-03-19
BLACK BILLY SIINnI,|
WINS SUPPORT I'm
TABERNACLEREvTv1u
Rev. Alexander WiIth.. I
Makes Formal Rem.
and Chances Are Il r., +
+ t'avor-Sunday Said /
Approve Plan. y

'""STuHn0 this
U'''''' "'e reproduced on the ,o,, Y Y
Pormal application for thu ~
at 18th and Vine streets for ''o''
vival with the BLACK Billy sunss, nss'o
the evangelist, was made TODD.
BILLY" Sunday Campaign coD,.,,. q
committee of negro ois''li1nttet u
copy of the application was sss.en ssmen
Wanamaker. Mr.. Sunday Ia sa,s !ss
declared himself in favor a, AZ 70 hin
letter to the Rev. svlves,a pr
Lotners' pastor of the varok :.
Atriean AR Methodist Episcopal churcb i'I y.
a. ana Catharlne streets, where the ts,A. ~
Indications are that the tabsrr.,.
be turned over to the revivalls, "as.s ~. Y
Alexander Wlltbank, of Wasbirs ~ ~ H.i
c. In this event n meeting a, y, sol
clergymen in this city will nsn
FOR Sunday or Monday OF nav, esha
city-wtde campaign among ths ~
then VIII be started. There eloi
than 100000 Negroes in this cltv VIZ
3SO negro clergymen. Every on. ~, W.
latter is expected to get behind 4 " -
revival and help to make II n s s, ~
The formal resolution filed v,,s y
Sunday Committee follows -" u'
Having great evankaI,st ~.
Narlck a. M. e. Zion Church in y.
person OF the Rev. Alexander wui.
pank, OF Washington, D. c., vhns
creatihg such sensation relIEOus, /.
among the colored people Of the civ |,
phlladelphia that the present quartz,
the church, seem too small to aeeoM
modate the constantly increasIs,
crowds who gather there to hear M
ana feeling cramped in our efforts y
further evangelize the colored psoni.
OF the cummunity, we, the underslrrM
committee from the said vsnrl
church and community, hereby Earn.
estly petition the chairman and ofac,r,
of the billy" Sunday Tabernacle "A
permit the use of the said tabernac,
Tor the furtherance Of this religion,
campaign.
4lexander Wits Wiit6ank n MenTy I, sols1 BLACK
Charles Fred White Albert AnSst, Scott ,.,
In event of anything preyentihr n.
use of the tabernacle for the negro !.
vival, a movement will be started 4,
get a tent large enough to hold sbout
10000 persons. This would be erected d
q vacant lot and the revival be held In n
The clergymen behind the plan decl,u
this Is just the beginning Of a revival
among Negroes that Is 10 n.
clude nearly all large cities Of the North
Something new in the way Of rapld.art
talking was shown to 1900 negroes and
about a hundred white men who jamned
Varick Temple to the doors last naht
when Wiltbank delivered his sermon On
THE Great Deluge."
Mr.. Wiltbank has been referred 10 A
the Negro Billy Sunday" As matte,
Of fact, he and his followers declare Ms
lcrobatics on the platform are but con.
.inuance of old-tlme Negro camp meet.
ngs. Billy Sunday, they say, got most
If his faction" from this source.
Every man and woman in the audlenu
pledged his or her support TO Mr. Wit.
Oank's campaign against the saloon BT
MS declaration that the saloon must q
that 1t is going rapidly now, he rous9
his audience to wild heights Of ca.
husiasm. He damned rum as the worst
,oe the Negro ever had He pleaded VIII
he fellow men and women OF his raz
% kill first their worst enemy.
When the sermon suddenly came to an
md the Rev. Mr.. Wiltbank was standing
IN the backs of two benches, over :
lumber of orouchinG penitents, his arms
'ver his head, his long frock coat throWa
,ack over his powerful shoulders. And
,ne woman lay in faint, while HUNDREDS
# others in an ecstacy of feryor strus.
He'd with those who sought to RESTRAIN
hem. Many were shrieking.
Wiltbank went back to the platform and
oolS a seat. The din in the audience b.
San to grow. 1t looked as though i
would be impossible to quiet the people
nut the Rev. S. L. Corrothers, pastor q
he Temple. touched Wiltbank on ms
houlder. He rose slowly to his feet ana
mitted a below that shuddered up
through the caves. Instantly there wa
uiet.
No one who saw the Rev. Mr. Witba.k
n action could doubt for an instant 70
,nows the crowd psychology OF his own
ace. His sermon might fail to get 70
0 900 white persons as do those OF "blny
sunday, but in talking TO his own peepls
Ie is master of their emotions. he pa,.
N them at will. And there are ums'
1hen he could reach any class.
For instance, in telling how tie ArA W.
lied. he described first the sNallns
lrching elephant and his mate gons Y
he gang plank. The next Instant VIZ
is massive head cooked on one sag, Y
mitted a series of chirps in enuiauos1 e1
( the humming bird. In tac., ne ini.iss- ~.
bout every member of the animal has
ON that got into the ark. and ne aa
o we'll that everybody sat tenss -
,atched him. They laughed only "A'-
e laughed, giving them the sign