The Detroit times., 1916-09-23

morse over an ilrspent llte thht tns
little ones knew nothing OF.
Trail Hitters Collapse.
Such a wave OF religious enthu
biasm as swept over the monster
Billy sunday tabernacle Friday
night has seldom been duplicated In
o religious meeting While the mum
Der OF converts showed falling on
from the two previous meetings
when penitents were asked TO hit
the trail. those who did walk up "a
the altar appeared to be In a per
feet fever OF penitential emotion.
For the first time the hospital de
pnrtment OF the tabernacle was
called into use. and several OF those
who collapsed under the strain oi
eurrendering themselves were led 10
cots where first aid was administer
Cd Most OF tho trail hitters wep'
throughout the ceremony OF under
going conversion and some were SC
undone physically that II was neces
Eary TO support them on their jour
neys 20 and from the altar.
From the group OF converts who
sat directly in front OF the platform
sobs and anguished cries rose and
mingled with the prayers and eXhor
tations OF the evangelist and the
sof,ly.rendered strains of Just as
Am, without One Plea from the
choir
Al the afternoon meeting Friday
IN the midst OF his closing prayer
Billy Sunday was seized by the i'm
pulse 10 ask for converts. contrary
10 bis usual rule OF starting a col
umn up the sawdust trail at the al
ternoon sessions so early In the
campaign. He. therefore. included
the invitation in HIS prayer. and be
fore he finished there was n small
group Of women and girls standing
before him waiting for the land
shake. They were quickly joined
by others and in a few minutes 81
penItents had been registered and
pledged TO be Christians.
A Brand from the Burning
While most OF the afternoon con
verts were women there we're sew
eraI men. among them some that
confessed through their sobs and
tears that they had been drunkards
and criminals. These confessions
brought from the revivalist many
expressions OF satisfaction in the
quality OF his work II not in the
quantity.
One OF the converts declared that
his parents died when he was such
a small child he could scarcely re.
member them He had. however. a
II ~ a - a
last words and they were an appeal
10 him 20 lead n useful Christian
life. lie had never observed his
mothers request. but. being a waif
he drIftcd from bad TO worse until
finally he became a criminal and a
drunkard. MUCH OF his time he
spent In prison cells. He has at.
tended every meeting of the Sunday
campaign 10 date. battling with his
conflicting emotions. For several
nights he had not slept because OF
his troubled conscience and because
OF his mothers words that kept
ringing I'm his ears constantly.
He said ne went TO the tabernacle
Friday afternoon. knowing that N
was not the evangelists custom 10
ask for converts at the afternoon
meeting, but praying thruout the
sermon that the invitation would be
given. In the midst OF the preach
er's prayer this man staggered to
wards the platform. his form shaken
by the sobs that he made no effort
10 control. Others grasped him and
supported him rs he told his story
At both the afternoon and even
Ing services there were many pa
thetic incidents. There was one
young girl attended by her father
mother and brother. all OF whom
were weeping and unashamed OF
their tears or their secret
This girl had fallen into bad hah
its and her exceptional beauty was
her curse. For several days she
had not been AZ home. II was only
Friday morning that her distraughi
parents found her in what they
termed the red light district To
gether the family. all Of whom were
already protesting Christians save
the wayward daughter, went To the
tabernacle Early In tho sermon
this girl buried her face in her hands
and began 10 cry and her tears and
those OF the other members of the
samily flowed until she had made