South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-01-17
.NLSE1AWAKA GENERAL NEWS
NpsThm Main HomePho Bell
REVEREND WILLIAMS
CHARMS BIG BANQUET
Methodist Brotherhood Holds
Annual CeIebration-Chi-
Cago Preacher Speaks.

That no society or club function
i'm Ibis, or any other con- nunity,
pro. ted upon its program for a
single evening an numorist, poet
gentleman and orator, plus all in
one mum Der as an after-dinner per-
former that can possibly excel the
Rev. Elmer L. Williams, Methodist
preacher of the nineteenth ward.
Chicago. is the unshakable conclu-
sion Of over 200 men, who gathered
Tuesday evening at the Mems Broth
erhood of the Methodist church, and
who listened for two hours TO Wit
and satire and pathOs and finest
flights Of oratory in his description
OF his work of the past seven and a
half years as minister ard friend to
the lowly and downcast Of the for
eign element of his residential ward.
But DR.. williams did not deal only
with his local ward conditions. He
told Of his visit during the campaign
Of 1916 TO Cincinnati, where he
found that Nicholas LOngworth's
family is the owner of two solid
blocks Of houses devoted to immoral
purposes. This, as a sample, and %
the CONSERVATION of the crowd, who,
for the most part at least never
supposed such wickedness could be
participated in by anyone except a
democrat. Then, after dealing with
individual instances of depraved So
cial conditions that had undergone
his surveillance as preacher. news
paperman and police officer, he
made the significant statement That
he knows the states attorneys Of
fee in Chicago is taking felOns and
training them in the black-art of
perjury, for the purpose of discred-
iting perfectly honorable people in
Chicago.
He told of how he rescued girls
and boys. now he broke up the lille
gal saloon; how he routed the
crooked city official. who was bent
on putting the preacher out OF bust
ness because the preacher essayed
TO put the vice ring out of business;
of how re traced a political gangster
in Chicago, from position of pre-
cinct committeeman without visible
means of support, first into the as
SCISSORS office, and later, after expos
ing him there. into the saloon bust
ness in another part of town, which
became the fence for goods stolen
from express companies, and final
/ " was broken up by the speaker
upon a tip" given the express COM
pany after a series of bold robberies.
Gives Tip TO Mayor.
With interesting detail he un-
wound his story against gambling,
and paused a moment TO pay his
compliments to the mayor of Mish-
awake, who presided at the meet
| ing. and 10 remind the mayor he
would not find gambling on the
ground floor in establishments in
! Mishawaka There was some specu-
lation as to just who had tipped off
/ the visiting law-enforcing preacher
| to make such a suggestion, mas
much as il was presumed the visitor
! had been the guest only Of the pas
\ tor of the church. But whether the
| distinguished doctor of divinity
\ meant TO chasten, or really did Of
I fend in his observation about gam
bling. and so pertinently addressing
his remarks to the mayor, everyone
was fully compensated for turning
out TO hear the story-teller, reform
err. wit. wag. orator and civic bat
tier OF God in the vineyard OF mixed
conditions and pOlyglot populations.
Of the over-rich with poodle dog
parties, and the abject poor with
squalor and want and woe OF the
worst type.
A splendid supper was served by
/ the ladies of the church, a male
quartet contributed two numbers
and an encore An orchestra OF IL
pieces played during the meal. Doc
tor Edwards closed the banquet with
| felicitious talk over the work to
be done by the church and work
accomplished by his raid upon sa-
looms and the Office of a chief Of
police in Mishawaka. The church is
preparing for an evangelistic cam
paign. and cards were distributed
about the table, seeking volunteers
for that service.