The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1917-05-30
BILLY SUNDAY SO
TIRED HE TOTfERS
Crowd Stirred As Evangelist
Appears Near Collapse.
1902 HIT SAWDUST TRAIL
Prison Terms Urged for Slackers
Who Would Evade Registration.

NEW YORK, May so.-"say, Jesus.
we pray you to bless this great
throng," Billy Sunday began this
prayer at the close Of his sermon last
night. Lord we"
For a second or two he swayed
back and forth like a fighter ready
to drop on his knees; then his hands
gripped the green cloth topped pulpit
and he steadied himself. With a
swift motion he reached down and
found his silver bottle, and pouring
water in his cupped hand, dashed II
over his face A wan smile flashed
across his face and then, revived by
the shock Of the cold water, he start.
ed in again on his personal prayer.
Jesus. we want you to" Again
he hesitated and his hands dropped
in a motion OF despair. "rm TOO tired,
Lord" he half whispered. AUST cone
on down folks-come on down."
Slowly he opened the trap door to
the half dozen steps that lead to his
little cubby hole at the foot OF the
sawdust trail where he takes the
hands of the hundreds who daily
come forward.
There was nothing theatrical about
the whole thing. although the great
Tabernacle fairly shook with sup
pressed drama; rather II was the
brave effort OF a tired man topping
on the very edge Of an absolute
breakdown.
Grave Concern Felt.
Members OF the official Sunday
party who have been with the night
ing evangelist for years whispered
among themselves that It was the
nearest to a complete collapse that
Billy had ever suffered. Never IN all
his twenty-one years of revival work
has he been put tos such q terrific
strain and smashing test. Grave con-
Germ was felt by some as to whether
his physical strength could last out
the remaining three weeks, during
which some OF his most strenuous and
heart-breaking work is scheduled to
be undertaken.
Although the official title of Billy's
evening sermon was 'If Any Man
WILL" II seemed to be a sort OF second
edition OF his famous Nuts for Skep,
tics to Crack" dissertation. Some Of
the questions Of those who seek to
refute the Christian belief-the In
consistency OF the Bible, Immortality.
where Cain got his wife. and the vir-
gin birth-were first propounded by
him and then answered with his usual
picturesqueness-
you hear men talk about the In
consistencies in the Bible" Billy be-
gan. Say, the inconsistency Is in
the poor mutt and not in the Bible.
And those same guys say / shock 'em.
Or. Lord! the incongruity of that
bunch! Whenever an infdeI starts to
talk Scripture he's all In
Is302 More Hit Trail
The big pine meeting house was
about three-quarters nlled at the
night service. The list of delegations
was headed by $500 members Of the
Christian Endeavor Society. Follow
ing the call for trail hitters I.053
went forward. An audience OF 1000
in the afternoon sent forward 24e,
making a total for the day OF ! .302
Early In his afternoon sermon Billy
took a right-hand swing at the slack
ers who are planning to evade regis
tration on June 5. Next to the -sa-
loon keeper and the dancing master
Billy has less use for the Stacker
than any other i..dividual on Gods
footstool." as he calls II.
L hope wen build jails and peni-