Smyrna times., 1935-11-14


w. A. Billy" Sunday
fessional baseball career to exhort
sinners to "hit the sawdust trail, "
had dedicated the major portion of
his 72 years to indefatigable at
tacks on "the Devil and rum" died
of angina pectoris after having
been in failing health for a year.
The news was received in Smyrna
by those who got to know him and
entertain him, who were sorry to
learn of his death. Sunday went
from his home at Winona Lake,
Ind, to stay at the home of Mrs.
Sundays brother, William ].
Thompson in Chicago. A spasm
seized him early Wednesday and he
told his wife who is known to many
of his audiences as Ma" Sunday:
Mother, that feels like angina. 1t
hurts very much" He was under
medical care and the ministrations
of his wife for much of the day, but
rapidly lost strength Wednesday
might and at 7:15 Complained:
Mother, I just feel dizzy" At
that, his wife said, he Just slipped
back on his pillow and closed his
eyes" AS late as October 27, Sun
day had preached at one Of his pic
turesque revival meetings in Mis-
hawaka, Ind, and was elated that
80 or 40" of his audience had
come to the altar. Sunday was the
originator of the most dramatic
and sensational type Of religious
service ever introduced to the
American people. Turning from
professional baseball when he was
at the height of his career, he be
came one of the most successful
evangelists in the country and
even the larger cities. were unable
to provide auditoriubs Of sufficient
capacity to accommodate the
crowds that sought admission to
his revival meetings. 1t was not
that Sunday presented anything
new to his audiences, but it was
the manner in which he delivered
his sermons that made them reach
their mark, cause the sinners to re-
pent and then impel thousands of
them to ''hit the SawduSt trail"
The two principal objects of his at
tack were the Devil and rum. He
began his sermons in the ordinary
religious manner of any preacher,
but when he warmed up to his SUBJ
ject the entire aspect of the meet
ing and preacher were changed.
He worked hard with his voice and
his body; so hard that on many oc-
casions it was necessary for him
to remove his coat and vest to en-
able him to proceed with any de-
gree of comfort. At times, he
went further and took off his col
lar and necktie. This form of
preaching seemed to meet the ap-
proval of Sundays auditors. and
apparently as popular, if not more
SO, was his language. In his SER
mons he discarded to a large ex-
tent Biblical and religious language
and resorted to the vernacular, es-
pecially when he desired to place
emphasis on his point. On those
occasions he used words and phras-
es that never before found a place
in a religious sermon. He was ably
assisted in his revival meetings by
his wife, who became familiarly
known to his audiences as Ma Sun
day. The financial success of his
campaigns was always assured be-
fore they were started. Sunday
had complete organization in
cluding his own choir, for conduct
ing the meetings, and he always
made it a condition that the ex-
pense of the campaign be pledged
before he opened in a city. The
evangelist usually got his compen-
sation from voluntary contribu-
tions on the last day. These in
many cities aggregated thousands
OF dollars. Mr.. Sunday was born
at Ames, Ia, November 10. 1863,
and after being graduated from
high school at Nevada, Ia, studied
at Northwestern University. He
was proficient baseball player