Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-01-18
ALL SHOT TO PIECES
WITH BOOZE" (" HE is
A SUNDAY CONVERT
William P. Mooney Tells
How the Evangelist S
Message Has Changed
His Mode of Life.
By WILLIAM P. MOONEY
"a Rnir sunday c,nnvertN

"a Billy Sunday ConvertD
Il was booze that got me. or course,
there were lots OF other things, too, but
there wasn't one of them that didn't
originate in that damnable drink.
Look al mel My clothes all ragged, my
face unshaved and my hands shaking as
though had the ague. That's what
booze has done for me. And then there 8
my wife. No decent clothes to wear not
enough to eat and working like a dog for
what she does get. and all because
can't get work-nobody win give work
60 man that's all shot to pieces with
booze
was born in PouRhkeepse N. Y, and
I had as fine father and mother as you
ever saw They were good, God-fearing
people. and they did everything they
could to bring me up the same way. L
had a good education, and then started
in working in the iron works and getting
good money, too.
was getting along In great shape, and
then 1 fell in with a bunch of 'mucks'
as we used to call them. I'll never Tor
get the time they got me to take my first
drink 1t was down in little booze
folnt by the Hudson, where all the wharf
rats hung out, and that bunch took me
down there to show me good time.
DIDN'T WANT TO DRINK. BUT
I didn't want to drink, but the whole
bunch OF them stood around laughing and
teering at me until finally / took drink
of whisky to show them 1 could. Then
they made me drink another, and, al
though hated the stuff they kept on
nagging me until was finally down and
out raving drunk, and the barkeep threw
me out into the gutter.
That was the beginning of the end.
Those fellows just kept right after me.
and 1t wasn't long before | was as bad
as any OF them My father used to plead
with me to cut It out and my mother
would pray for me. God bless her! but
II wasn't any use. didn't care. 1 told
them was my own boss and 1 would
do as d. pleased. and 1 did, too.
OF course. lost my job. couldn't
keep up acting that way and be any good
to anybody. Then l started roaming
around / got up to a little joint near
Syracuse where the American Bridge
Company was doing some work, and as
hadn't had any money to buy booze
with for several days, was sober and 1
got job.
I worked until got 500. and then I
went on tear; and that's the way 1t
has been most of the time since then
working until 1 got little money and
then quitting and getting crazy drunk and
doing everything a man could do to dis
grace himself and his father and mother.
WIFE-HoPED TO REFORM HIM.
Oh. yes. got married That's the way
with a. fellow like that-hed just as soon
drag some girl down with him as not.
My wife married me to reform me,
rHaI IrF,a aAI,. It..
could have had And then my mother
died-no use telling you why she went
to an early grave-and my father followed
her about FIVE years later.
Well. that gives you some idea as to
what I've been. 1 haven't had a decent
thought until last week, when l happened
to drift In here to listen to Billy Sun
day. / expected he would hand out a
bunch OF bunk, but 1 was wrong. 1 came
again Friday and, say, when he was
talking about those Ten Commandments
1t seemed as though he knew was there
and was speaking every word right at me.
There isn't one hardly that I haven't
broken II you make them mean what he
says they mean.
Honor thy father and thy mother!'
When he was talking about that I was
thinking about how l had honored MY
father and MY mother. 1t seemed as
though 1t would kill me. Oh, IL 1t wasn't
only too late and l could tell them how
sorry am and how I'm going to start
all over againi
Then what he said about there being
more than one way of killing. About kill
ing your wife slowly and torturing her
with the rotten life you lead. He knew
what he was talking about, all right, and
maybe 1t isn't too late. I'm going TO show
her that there is something left in me
yet. and I'm going to stick to 1t, too.
II it's true that God viii hear me il 1
say God. be merciful to me. a sinner"
guess there's some chance left for me
aftsrward. too. for from now on, believe
me, I'm a Christian. Maybe I can show
my wife that there is a little manhood
laft in me yet, and maybe you can honor
your father and mother even after they
are dead and buried. Do you think soG
am Am