Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-03-20
BLACK BILLY SUNDAY
TO GET REVIVAL TENT,
IF NOT TABERNACLE
Will Start Campaign for
Funds to Give Shelter to
10000 Worshippers I'm
less Assured r e que S t
Will Be Granted.

campaign for funds to purchase a
tent large enough to hold 10000 persons
will he started today by the Rev. Aexan-
der Wiltbanks-"Back Billy Sunday
unless definite assurance is given that the
Sunday tabernacle will be turned over to
the evangelist for a negro revival at the
conclusion of the Sunday campaign to-
morrow night.
A committee headed by Wiltbanks and
the Rev. sylvester L. Corrothers, pastor
of Narick Temple African Methodist Eps-
copal Church, at 10Th and Catharine
streets, will seek a conference today with
John Wanamaker and ask him to use his
influence to get the tabernacle for the
revival
Varlck Temple, where Wiltbanks has
been preaching every night for a week,
is not large enough to accommodate those
who will come to hear him after Sunday
leaves Philadelphia. More than 100 per-
sons attended the services last night in
spite of the rain, filling the edihce to
capacity.
The sermon last night was one of the
big negro revivalists best 1t was enti-
tied 'The Ten Lepers" AS usual, he took
his own time swinging into the rapid-fire,
half-chanted utterance that has made him
the favorite evangelist of his race.
bGNAIf1IS lAlSE Of lIEBEIlo.
The revivalist again brought into play
his deep knowledge of negro crowd psy-
chology. Owing to the presence of many
whita persons. the Negroes were some
what i'll at ease at first. They seemed
to feel that their white visitors came to
be amused, and they resented it. Wilt
bank held himself in reserve until by
quaint yarns of the Southland he had
overcome this feeling. When he saw
that his people had forgotten the pres
ence of visitors. he suddenly got down to
the real work of his revival.
The picture he drew of the lepers. out
casts from society, sitting half starved
by the roadside, waiting for Christ to
come and heal them, his description of
their conversation, soon began to have its
effect on his audience. AS the droning,
penetrating voice speeded up, the revival
ist, trotting back and forth across the
platform, also began to hasten his steps.
One by one and then in little groups his
people came under Willbanks' sway. They
began to rock gently back and forth In
their seats, hands that had been folded
quietly began to wave about and every
moment the calculations of ''Hallelujah"
increased
Women sobbed when the revivalist went
through the motions of the head of a
family notified by an officer of the law
that he had the leprosy The big man
danced backward across the platform, his
hands over his head. imploring his imagi-
nary children not to touch him. He did
the talking for everybody, the wife and
the children and the leper.
Suddenly he turned on the audience.
'You all got the leprosy" he cried, the
gambling leprosy, the ballroom leprosy,
the gin and whisky leprosy."
MEN AND WOMEN SWoON.
They leaned forward in their benches
and gasped while he lowered over the
pulpit and thrust his big fist out in their
faces. Somewhere in the back of the
church a woman screamed. The preacher
resumed his trot back and forth over
the platform. resumed his throaty, dron-
ing tale of the ten lepers. Thus, grad
ually, with many digressons to hit at
the whisky traffic and other evils, he
worked up to his climax.
There was the usual number of faint
ings and near faintings. Men and wom-
en- leaned back as on previous nights
over the benches and shrleked. The re-
vivalist ran down through the aisles.
He stood on benches. He jumped into
the air and waved his arms wildly.
After a throng of trail hitters had
greeted him, tears streaming down their
cheeks the revivalist explained to news
paper men that nobody takes a Negro
seriously If he walks up the trail calmly.
He declared that in old camp meeting
days a Negro who was not dancing aHd
singing as he professed religion was sent
back to his bench. The revivalists refused
to accept them