Evening star., 1960-01-12
Evangelist Daddy Grace Dies
While Visiting Los Angeles

SIdCCs COlOTIul evangelist WHO
claimed his flock numbered
3 million throughout the coun-
try. died last night in Los An
geles, Calf.
The bishops niece, Mrs.
Marie J. Miller of New Bedford,
Mass, said he died in Los An
geles' Metropolitan Hospital,
where he was taken early Mon
day morning.
He was just tired and worn
out" Mrs. Miller said. She said
he was 78 or 79 years old.
The long-haired evangelist,
who had his Washington head
quarters in the House of Prayer
for All People at COL M street
NV, founded churches in
many major cities throughout
the country.
Mrs. Miller said the bishop
left his New Bedford home and
arrived to visit his Los Angeles
flock on November %, When
word arrived Of his illness, two
sisters, Mrs. Sylvia Gomas and
Miss Louis Grace, flew from
New Bedford to join him.
The bishop, who said he was
a native of Portugals Cape
Verde Islands, had a Spectacu-
lar career marked by frequent
brushes with the law.
More than 100 of his flock
crowded a District Court court
room late in 1857 when he went
on trial on charges brought by
a retired teacher, Mrs. Lovenia
Royster. Mrs. Royster claimed
the bishop married her in 1923,
and she demanded support
payments.
The bishop, wearing inch
long red-white- -and-blue finger
nails. shoulder-length hair,
colorful robes, stoutly main
tanned he was on a pilgrimage
TO the Holy Land at the time
Of the alleged marriage.
No sooner had the bishop
been cleared of Mrs. Registers
charges than he became en-
broiled in a dispute with his
attorney. Frank YaSmer, over
legal fees. This was settled out
Of court after Mr.. Yasmer filed
q suit asking $50,O00.
Lost Custody Of Son
In l942 Bishop Grace lost
custody of his son. then 7 years
old, to his estranged wife.
Angeline, and was ordered to
make support payments.
The second police precinct
had its hands full when a gar
den hose baptism of some $50
of the bishops flock got out of
hand in the summer of l948.
Angered over the arrest of two
Of their number, members of
the flock marched on the pre-
cinct, but we're repelled by a
sizable force Of police.
When fire inspectors claimed
in May. 1850. that the bishops
House Of Prayer in the 100
block of Seventh street NV.
was too consistently crowded
for safety, he showed up at
the corporation counsels Office
in a chauffeur driven sedan
and a retinue Of uniformed
and gold-braided Soldiers"
The bishop told Assistant
Corporation Counsel Clark King
there would be no fire while
he was there, but promised to
keep the crowd down to ca
pacity anyway.
Came to U. s. in 1903
Bishop Grace, who said his
real name was Marcelino Man
uel Gracas. said he came to
New Bedford from the Cape
Verde Islands in 1908.
In one of his earliest ven-
lures into the religious field, he
founded a church in Charlotte |
IN. c., and baptized his fol-
lowers in a mudhole.
After establishing his House
of Prayer here, he moved on
New York's Harlem and pur-
chased the building known as
Father Divines" Main Heaven"
in 1898. Father Divine's AN
gels" then moved a few blocks
away.
Bishop Grace in 1856 took
over the church used by
Detroit's Prophet Jones when
the latter ran afoul Of the law. |