The Washington times., 1917-02-26
GYPSY TO BARE
STORY OF LIFE
Evangelist will Conclude Four
Weeks Revival Here With
Service Tonight.
CONTINUED from First Page.)

dllenudnCe OF OsOOO at edCn, GypSy
Smith, jr., has been heard by at least
9O, 900 persons at the Tabernacle at
Sixteenth and V streets northwest.
Fully 10000 others have heard his
sermons at the several churches and
club meetings at which he has spoken
dufing the past month, making a total
of 100000 who have come within the
range of his eloquent appeals for
right living and surrender to Christ.
Today the evangelist has S12 con-
verts to his credit for the four weeks
campaign here. This does not include
all those who wanted to be converts,
for at yesterday afternoons services
between 1,200 and 1900 men went
forward" to profess their conversion,
but because of the great crush and
confusion the names of only twelve
were recorded.
Hopes for 1000 Converts.
At last nights services ITO converts
publically announced their resolve to
live Christian lives.
Tonight the evangelist hopes the
converts will be sufficiently numerous
to put the total well over 1000.
! As yet Gypsy Smith, jr., has not re-
ceived a penny for his services in
Washington. A free will offering will
be taken up for him tonight.
Envelopes will be distributed to all
the men and women who attend to-
nights services and they will be
asked to make liberal contributions
In all of the twenty-six churches
which united to invite the evangelist
to Washington envelopes were dis
tributed yesterday and are expected
to be placed in the plates tonight
with generous donations for the evan
gelist.
ITO "HIt the TraiLp
Last nights meeting was the most
enthusiastic of the entire series, which
began nearly a month ago in the big
tabernacle at Sixteenth and v streets
northwest One hundred and ten
persons from the audience which
packed, the structure to overflowing,
walked down to the platform where
stood the evangelist, Gypsy Smith,
jr.. and annbunced that they had de-
cided to take their stand with
Christ"
This was the largest number of
converts recorded at any meeting. A
little girl, eight years old, was among
this number.
At $500 o'clock the first of the
crowd took their seats in the taber-
nacle. By 1880 all entrances were
closed. By 9 crowds were storming
the entrances. Frequent and loud
voiced demands for admission caused
the evangelist to stop several times
in his sermon.
Converts Begin To Appear.
Barely had the revival started
long before the fighting evangelist
stood with wiIted collar, and with
great beads OF perspiration stream
ing down his face-when an aged
colored man. swayIng in the front
row. shouted, "Glory TO God.
Turning, the evangelist cried, You
be quiet sir. I'm after the man who
can't say that. I've got you, but 1
haven't got these people over here
yet"
Shortly before 9, under the preach
er's lashing exhortation, converts be-
gan to make their appearance.
Winding up with a rush, while the
large choir sang the evangelist's IA
vorite hymn, Gypsy Smith called for
the final "Show down with Christ.
Little Girl Goes Forward.
Rising from all parts of the hall.
men and women advanced to the plat
form.
God bless you," the revivalfst said,
as he wrung the hand OF each. The
converts bench" roped off before
the platform, filled rapidly. Mean
while a corps of ushers kept the
aisles clear for the oncoming con-
verts.
Little Elsie Rose Ruzicka-age
eight-of 1133 Seventeenth street
northwest, told Gypsy Smith she
wanted to become a convert "along
with the grown-ups."
The evangelist smilingly escorted her
to the convert bench. where her name
others who hit the trail"
Goes Down In Audience.
In twenty minutes, more than 100
had received an encouraging word
from Gypsy Smith, and taken their
places in the section reserved for
them.
Meanwhile, while the choir sang
I'm Coming Home" the evangelist
surveyed the faces before him.
Leaping down, he advanced swift
ly through the massed crowd to a
man who had been standing, wrapped
in apparent indecision, seized him by
the hand and urged him ITO take his
stand" The man-tears welling into
his eyes-fOllowed him to the pulpit.