The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-05-01
SUNDAY TELLS STORY
OF HIS CONVERSION
WHILE BALL PLAYER

Now every man that can truth
fully say, Say Bill, that sermon
helped me, just stand up" Billy Sun
day asked Of the $500 men who
listened to his men only" sermon on
The Devils Boomerang" Sunday
afternoon and practically four-fifths
of the men stood.
Calling for trail hitters, So men,
from every class in Richmond.
marched down the aisles, shook hands
with Billy and signed cards pledging
themselves to better Christian life.
Wnlle Just before that AZ men stood
IN answer to the call for men who
did not belong to the church, but
wanted to take their stand for Jesus
Christ.
1t was a BILLY Sunday" audience
mat gathered to hear the evangelist
preach on the wages Of sin that men
PAID, and to hear him tell of the fate
OF some OF those other ball players
VINO had been with the Chicago White
stockings in the old days.
Tells of Conversion
Describing his conversion In Chi
first appearance at the ball field after
the news had reached the papers. He
told of entering with fear and tremb-
ling, and of his first greeting of cheer
from the gatekeeper, and of how the
rest of them backed him.
And then he told of the finish of
the rest of the team, of the end of
Mike Kelly, the catcher, "the nerviest
man that ever lived"
Thirty four years ago we sat to-
gether on the curbstone on Clark
street, drunk, and / said to them,
Good bye boys I'm through They
died drunkards' deaths, and l am still
alive doing good. Now who did the
right thing in life?"
Sunday Slides
Once during the sermon, telling of
the attempt of the big catcher to end
his life with a home run, and be
straight. Sunday flung himAelf head
long into slide on the platform.
He was trying to stretch three
Dagger into home run, and he slid
for home" Billy Sunday cried, but
the umpire called OUT"
THAT was the story OF his life he
was out and never reached home"
Before the sermon Rev R. W.
Stoakes conducted drive for pledges
for the tabernacle. Holding in his
hand the pledge cards Of businesses
in town which had pledged 500 for
the tabernacle, he asked for Watchers
for them. Following the lead of Knoll
lenberg's department store, which had
given the first 500 pledge which Rev.
Stoakes held in his hand, Will Rooney,
Ora Stegall. Tom Tarkleson, Lee Nus.
baum, Richmond Lumber company,
Chenoweth automobile company,
WebbColeman company, all pledged
800, total of $500.
Other Subscriptions.
Following the firm subscriptions,
Walter Dalbey increased his personal
subscription to 800, as did Folger
Wilson.
Ed Thompson. Mcclellan White and
John Hansel and one man whose name
could not be heard on the platform.
pledged $50 and Mr. R. A. Campbell |
pledged $25.
Mr. Sunday offered to give the fifth !
contribution of $50, and when the four
additional pledges were received |
from the audience, paid up his $50 on !
the spot.
Numerous pledges of SO and SIS !
which were made bring the total of i
pledges made during the afternoon
to about $4,000, part of which was paid !
Immediately in cash when the dough !
pans" were passed around.
The cash collection in the taber- !
nacle was SS93.1S and in the East |
Main street Friends meeting house, !
s8S.52, making a total for the after
noon of S9S170
A check from the Reid Memorial
Ladies Missionary society of $25 also |
was announced, and a future. contri- |
button from the Ladies' Aid reported. /.