Priest's Surplice on Fire; Billy Sunday Destroys Pulpit

1908

Priest's Surplice on Fire

Presence of Mind Averts Panic in Church Crowded With Children

Presence of mind prevented a serious panic in St. Josephs Catholic Church at Newport, R.I. during the children's mass yesterday, with many little ones occupying the body of the church and adults in large numbers also present.

The first communicants among the children were receiving communion from the Rev. James Mahon, the pastor, when a candle on a votive table at the left of the altar set fire to Father Mahon's surplice.

A woman in the congregation yelled fire. In a second many of the congregation were on their feet, when the Rev. Dr. William A. Doran, who was celebrant of the mass rushed to Father Mahon's side and with his hands beat out the flames, while both priests called upon the people to remain in their seats.



Sinners On The Bases

Billy Sunday Brings Them Home With Liners From Pulpit

The Rev. Billy Sunday, the former baseball player who has been holding a series of revivals at Sharon, Pa., closed his engagement at the Tabernacle last night. The minister got so excited during his last sermon at Sharon that he pounded the pulpit into strips.

He plucked off a piece of the hard wood and wielded it as if it was a baseball bat, knocking out liners to bring home the stragglers on the bases.

During his talk he would measure off the distance from the pulpit as if he was sizing up his position at an imaginary curve ball and watch it shoot out into the right or left field of his audience.

Among his hearers were many baseball fans and they watched the revivalist with envy.

—The Syracuse Herald, Syracuse, NY, June 1, 1908, page 5.