The Washington times., 1917-02-27
Gypsy Smith Credited With
Having Aroused Spirit of Re-
Iigion in Capital.
HoMErY SERMONS GRIPPED
Recapitulation Of List Shows
That s26 Men and Women
SWere Converted.

religion and saver of souls, were sung
by ministers and laymen alike,
The swarthy-skinned, indefatigabls
evangelist, who closed q four-weeks
revival here last night, was given
credit for bringing about a resurrec-
ton Of religious thought in the Ma
tional Capital and inspiring and slim
ulsting local ministers and church
workers to greater things.
THE evangelistic campaign con-
Quoted by Gypsy Smith, jr., already
has worked wonders in Washington"
said the Rev. DR.. John Carpenter Pal
mer, chairman OF the committee which
brought the evangelist to Washing
ton.
-Presenee VIII he Felt.
''rhe effects Of his homely sermons,
illustrated by human interest stories
which gripped, appealed and drove
home his lessons, will be felt here
for many months. Churches, minis
ters, and laymen have been stitnula-
ted to greater activity, and we are
under q lasting debt of gratitude to
the evangelist for his earnest work
here"
Recapitulation Of the list OF converts
today showed that the 8s men and wo-
men persuaded to a higher understand
ing and better life by the evangelist rep
resented 104 different churches.
The twenty-six Presbyterian churches
which united in extending the invitation
to Gypsy Smith. jr.. received most Of
the converts. but almost an equal num-
Der were won for the Baptist denomina-
ton, with the Episcopal church ranking
third. All Of the churches benefited by
additional members are not In the Dis
trict. a fact which shows the broad
scope Of the work done here by the even
gelist. according to DR.. Palmer.
Washington ministers belieye that
Gypsy Smiths time was well spent in
preparing the local field for Billy Sun
day his friend and model. who comes
to the National Capital next January.
Bade Farewell To 1000.
with the singing of God Be With
You Till We Meet Again" and the
waving of a small silken American
nag. the evangelist bade farewell to
1000 persons who thronged his taber-
nacle last night to hear him bare the
story of his life
The dramatic farewell was preceded
by warm and glowing tributes to the
evangelist by Henry B. F. Macfar-
land, former District Commissioner.
who voiced the city's gratitude and
obligation, and by DR.. Palmer. who
expressed gratitude for the temporary
bestowa1 OF the evangelist upon the
National Capital.
Just before he left the city the
evangelist was presented with free
will offering contributed by the con-
gregation. The offering totaled about
$4,000. of which $1,000 was collected
l. 4 a0n On Cnndav
Warns to Observe Sabbath.
81 want to warn you" Gypsy Smith,
jr., said last night "Observe the Sab
bath day. I have never been in any
city in the United States, saving New
York, where the people had less re-
gard for the Sabbath. day"
He then took up the thread Of the
story Of his life, as well as that of
his race and ancestors.
I'VE, the gypsies, believe that We
are one of the lost tribes of Israel"
he said. There are two reasons for
this belief. There are 100000 gypsies
in England, and IS per cent OF them
live to be OF Bible age. All OF the
families have names chosen from the
characters in the Bible. There Is
where we get that belief. for the
gypsies have no Bible and the names
have been handed down from our fore
fathers. When a gypsy is sick he is
given a knife and a spoon to eat
with, after which they are buried.
When he dies the bedding Is taken
out and burned. These two customs
were practiced by the Orthodox Jews
in Palestine.
Has No Religion
THE gypsy has no religion. He
believes the first cause controls
everything. and says that this first
cause is God. He has no command
ments to tell him what to do. The
Snly law he has is his conscience and
the law OF the country through which
he is travelling.
81 wish that the people OF this
country had as much respect for the
laws as gypsies had as far
back as sixty years ago. A man can
not marry until he is twenty-one, and
his property belongs to his father
until he becomes OF age. with them
the parents raise the children. In
some of your American homes the
raise the parents.
Must Heighten Morality.
I'VE must raise a higher morality
in this country than we have had In
the past twenty years. Our children
are going wrong. Many girls take
the wrong step before they have
graduated from high school.
THE gypsy can swear as though
he had been to the University OF
He'll taken a postgraduate course.
and had the devil for an instructor.
Those of the gypsies who are not
habitual drinkers are moderate drink
ers. They are not thieves. Thev do
not burglarize banks and thev do not
break into houses. They are super
stitious, believing that there is a dif-
will steal from your
yard. but not from your barn.
"Many of you pay gypsy women
to tell your fOttune. She is not tell
ing your fortune, she tells you what
you tell her or what she has been
keen enough to learn from you. They
travel on their wits, and when you
manage to get ahead of a gyspy girl
you may chalk 1t up"
The evangelist then told of his row
Ing the seas for years, leading any
thing but a righteous life, and of his
and joining the staff OF
an exhorter In New York.
He alluded to the fact that he was
still in his swaddling clothes as an
-