Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-12-02
PRAYER SAVED HIS LIFE,
SAYS CHEF CUMMTSKEY
citv Official Recovering After
Remarkable Incident at
City Hall
cREEps WE'RE FORGOTTEN
oso Men and Women Joined in Peti-
tion Three Weeks
Ago

.,.roa ,yeeks ago this noon Chief Frank
,.,,n,utskey. of the Bureau Of city Prop
s,tv Law at the point OF death' when
a,,ers were offered by men and women OF
many creeds at the Nl'5 ''''' "S w.
his recovery.
mi, noon Mr. Cummlskey. with light
- are ioy of living In his clear eyes.
hcsitbv color In his cheeks ana smile OF
eslth and gratitude on his face, sat up IN
Ne he'd at st. Mary's Hospital, Franktord
Jeanne and Palmer street, and told with
earnestness OF what those prayers hau
meant to hlm-hls life.
~ hrmiy believe in the power of prayer"
hs seId with feeling. "and I cannot tell you
how much | appreciate the fact that those
sso people In my department prayed for ME
thrpc weeks ago today. | think that their
,sravers aided the work OF the physicians,
gave them strength, and that as result
N those prayers and the work OF Dr. FL
GOOD r. Kirby and DR. NJ. II. Fussell and
DR. f. A. Murphy I am here today
He gave n look around the room out into
she beautiful sunshine that showed now
much he appreciated lifc--a look which
smoke volumes sor the gratitude he feels
that the prayers have been answered.
CREEDs FORGOTTEN
The forgetting of creeds and sectarlan-
fam and thinking only of the one God on
High. the cooperation OF the men and wom-
of many taltnS ana uniting IN prayer IOT
him, made an impression on Mr. Cummin.
skey who said in this connection, Yes,
am Catholic myself, but the people who
prayed belonged to all churches, and some
belong to none. Things'are much mixed up
regiously in our department so far as
creeds are concerned. Many are repre-
sented. but 20 think of all of them uniting
IN prayer for me. cannot say how | APP
preciato II. understand that II Is the first
time such n thing has ever been done in
the City Hall in Philadelphia. This answer
ing of the prayer is n great example Of
what can be accomplished by the power OF
faith and prayers"
This morning Mr.. Cummiskey sat up in
bed and talked to n reporter of his Illness
and his marvellous recovery with n feeling
which was beautiful to behold. His graft
tlide for the prayers and interest of the
men and women of his department. clerks,
Iaborers, cleaners. officers alike, his feeling
Of Thanksgiving for the answer to their
prayers, and most of all the unabashed way
In which he speaks of prayer make one
feel how worth while is such faith in
"Our Father Who Art in Heaven" Seldom
do men show their feelings on religious
matters as did Mr.. Cummiskey today.
DESPERATELY ILL
Mr.. Cummlskey fell i'll with pneumonia
al, his home 2S4O Frankford avenue, on
November s. He grew steadily worse until
three weeks ago, when 1t was thought he
could not live through the day. As "A last
result n delicate operation on his lungs was
advised by Doctor Kirby. 1t was the one
chance Of saving his life. At the time when
the operation was to have been performed.
William S. Bowen, superintendent of the
City Hail. and Robert Hicks acting chief
Of the Bureau of City Property. with $50
workers in the department held a prayer
service. That was at 12:1O O'Clock. Judge
William +, Campbell, who was with Chief
Cummlsliey at the hospital at that hour
says he noticed remarkable, almost
miraculous change in the chiefs condition
within few moments afterward. The rally
gave Mr.. Cummsltey the strength to go
through the operation with n better chance
OF recovery
The operation was performed byi Doctor
Kirby, one of the clty's well-known sur
geons,
The stitches were removed from the in |
elsion Thanksgiving Day, and now Mr.. |
Cummiskey is on the road to complete re- |
eovery And on that day the $50 men and |
women who had prayed three weeks before |
In the City Hall for the recovery of one |
OF the most popular men who have ever
been connected with municipal affairs Of
Tered prayers of Thanksgiving for the re-
eoYery OF Chief Cummiskey
The chief himself is stlll Offering prayers
OF thanksgiving.