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THE GOLDEN AGE FOR AUGUST 7, 1913
A BREEZY, BRISTLING TEXAS BATTLE
HON. WILLIAM CAPPS, PRESIDENT OF THE FORT WORTH RECORD, ASKS PRIVILEGE OF SPEAKING TO FRANK NORRIS’ SUNDAY NIGHT AU
DIENCE OF SEVERAL THOUSAND HE RECEIVES A CRUSHING “KNOCK OUT” AND SILENTLY“STEALS AWAY.”
SV T seems that about the livest spot in the
* South these days since Broughton went to
London is the temporary Tabernacle of the
First Baptist church, Fort Worth, Texas.
(Since the church and the pastor’s home were
burned down last year and the pastor, J. Frank Nor
ris, was charged with the burning, tried and found
“not guilty,” the church and pastor have been the
storm center of frequently recurring sensations.
While the new church (seating 2,600 people is be
ing erected, Mr. Norris is preaching in a big taberna
cle. The Fort Worth Post, an independent weekly
published every Friday, gives the following breezy
story of what took place at the First Baptist Taberna
cle on Sunday night, July 20, which has striking
news value for the friends of clean government ev
erywhere:
Great Sensation at First Baptist Church.
Perhaps the most sensational thing that ever hap
pened in church affairs or public assembly in Fort
Worth occurred last Sunday night. At the close
of a two-hour sermon, Hon. Wm. Capps, president of
the Fort Worth Record, came in with a dozen of his
followers and asked to speak.
“Is it not a fact that the breweries own stock in
the Fort Worth Record?” was the pointed question
that the Rev. J. Frank Norris hurled at the Hon. Wm.
Capps before an audience of several thousand people
Sunday night.
Mr. Capps replied: “Yes, there are two, Mr. Cetti
and Mr. Weiden.”
Mr. Norris said: “I thank you for the confession,”
and the audience went wild with applause.
Mr. Capps, greatly agitated and very nervous, tried
to explain how he had come into possession of the
Record.
Mr. Norris said: “Will you comply with the Federal
law, which says that the daily papers should publish
a complete list of their stockholders and directors?”
Mr. Capps, still more confused, attempted to ex
plain that he was preparing to. have that done, and
it has since been published.
Mr. Norris said: “Then you here and now admit
for the first time what has been charged, namely:
The breweries own stock in the Fort Worth Rec
ord?” (Prolonged cheers). And Mr. Capps walked
silently out.
When Mr. Capps had asked to speak, Mr. Norris
very cordially asked him to come to the platform,
quieted the audience and asked that everybody give
him a courteous hearing, which was done.
Mr. Capps arose and was laboring under great ex
citement, which was clearly manifest, and said:
“My wife tried to keep me from coming here to
night, and so did my best friends, but when I saw
that reference was to be made to me, I determined
to come. I heard Mr. Norris say with reference
to the T. C. U. car line that the property owners
were promised the car line at cost, and that it cost
$25,000 to build it, but the property owners paid
$40,000, and he insinuates me and my associates pock
eted the etra $15,000. I want to here say, putting it
mildly, that is erroneous.” (Here the crowd that
Mr. Capps brought with him applauded.) “I want
to say,” said Mr. Capps, “that Mr. Norris knows
what I did to get the Methodist University here —
how I worked and brought in the report offering the
largest bonus ever offered for a school.”
Mr. Norris replied: “As to the $15,000 item, here
sits Dr. J. W. Head, one of the property owners; a
more honorable man does not live, and he says they
were to get it at cost, which cost was $25,000, but
they had to pay $40,000.”
Dr. J. W. Head arose and said: “That is correct.
We were to get the street car line at cost, and it
was $25,0'00, but the property owners had to pay
$40,000.”
Mr. Norris then said: “That is exactly what I
stated. We have the word of the property owners
and they would like to know what become of that
$15,000. As to the Methodist University, nothing
has been said about it, and that has nothing to
do with it.” Incidentally, however, Mr. Capps had a
big land proposition in. connection with it.
As Mr. Capps walked off the platform, Mr. Norris
said: Wait a minute, I want to ask you some more
questions. Will you tell us who owns the Fort Worth
Record and publish the list of owners?”
Mr. Capps said: “What business is that of yours?”
Mr. Norris replied: “Exactly so, that is the posi
tion that you fellows have been taking too long.
It is the business of the people to know who owns
the papers, and the United States Supreme Court
has recently upheld the law, which said it was their
right to know.” (Tremendous applause). “And, by
the grace of the Eternal God, we are going to know.”
Mr. Capps said: “What is your purpose in asking
that question?”
Mr. Norris said: “My purpose is to find out wheth
er or not the Anheuser-Busch Brewing Company has
any stock in your paper, as it has been frequently
charfied and circulated against you.”
Mr. Capps said: “There are two brewers who own
stock, Mr. Zane Cetti and Mr. Weiden.”
Mr. Norris said: “I thank you for the admission.”
(Prolonged cheers.)
Mr. Capps said: “I would like to explain.”
Mr. Norris said: “An explanation is in order.”
Mr. Capps said: “I have been trying to buy out
these stockholders and could not.”
Mr. Norris said: “Then you admit the power of
the brewing company in your paper. I would not
own dog fur in any corporation that was owned by
the brewing association.” (Prolonged applause).
Recently Mr. Geo. W. Armstrong wrote an article
in the Record in which he used the language in ref
erence to the “Norris Case,” saying, “His partisans
have tried to make it appear that he has been per
secuted for his righteousness, and this effort on their
part has done great harm.”
Mr. A. J. Croxdale, a carpenter, residing at 1413
Ellis avenue, here stood up before the audience and
told of a speaking tube from the Natatorium, where
Mr. Armstrong lives, to the back end of Jim Hol
lingsworth’s saloon, and an 18-inch hole in the wall
of the Natotorium building, near the ground, where
the drinks were passed through.
“He was the carpenter who made it,” said Mr.
Norris. “I suggest Mr. Armstrong write an article on
‘speaking tubes to saloons and underground holes in
the wall.’
“No greater curse is on the church today than the
big rich fellow, liberal in both his patronage of the
church and the saloon. Preachers should rise up
and drive such out or quit the job.”
A Typical Sunday Night at Fort Worth.
An hour before preaching, by J. Frank Norris, all
available space in the big tabernacle, 100x125, was
taken, and soon the streets around were filled. His
text was, “He Receiveth Sinners and Eateth With
Them.” For thirty minutes the great congregation
led by Mr. D. M. Doyle, sang the old hymns. There
were no solos or anthems. All the singing, as was
every other part of the service, was in plain United
States language.
Nothing sensational about the service, unless a
great crowd and a preacher that told facts and called
them by name, produces a sensation. There was
great interest on the part of the unsaved, and many
professions of faith. There were 24 additions; two
skeptical men about sixty years old were converted
and united with the church by baptism—one of
them, a railroad man, said: “I unite with this church
because I am a saved man; have trusted in the Lord
Jesus for my salvation and want to get into a church
that is reaching the masses.”
The city judge, a young lawyer, joined the church
for baptism and said: “I come to unite with this
church because I believe that Jesus Christ is the
Son of God, and died for my sins. Because it is
my duty to unite with the church and because I be
lieve in the great work this church is doing at
this time in this city.”
Another man, who lives at Grand Prairie, 18 miles
on the interurban, said: “I have come in to unite
with this church because I want the fellowship with
a people standing for the things this church does.”
A professional boxer was the first one to come,
and he came before the pastor gave the invitation —
came from the outside of the audience and he said:
“Tonight I surrender all to the Saviour and I want
to face a new life and leave my old association,
and do right, so help me God.”
A transfer man, who works on the outgoing and
incoming trains, got into the after service at about
10:30 and asked to unite with the church, saying:
“I was late getting in tonight—hardly ever can get
off to church, and my wife, and son and myself
desire to come into the church and be abptized next
Wednesday night, because we have taken Christ
to be our Saviour.”
A woman, who has been the keeper of one of the
most notorious places of evil in the city, was also
saved. She brought forth fruit meet for repent
ance on the following day by closing her place and
beginning a life of Christian service.
This is a typical Sunday night service.
Fort Worth, R. E. DOVER, Financial Secretary.
MIRACLES OF REDEMPTION AT
CARTERSVILLE.
(Continued from page 4.)
miles to tell the story of the Christ who re
deemed the Gypsy boy in England and made
him such a wonderful “fisher of men” and a
“feeder of the flock” of God.
Successor of Hadley and Jerry McCauley.
The Sunday afternoon message of John Cal
lahan. superintendent of the great Hadley
Mission on the Bowery in New York, told his
thrilling life story “From Barroom to Pul
pit,” and was another powerful ilustration of
redeeming grace. Gloriously “born again” af
ter many years of sin and crime, he has proven
the genuineness of the “miracle of redemp
tion” by twenty-three 1 years of consecrated
living as a mission worker and praecher of
the Christ who saved him. Walking in the
footprints of S. H. Hadley and Jerry McCau
ley, leading thousands of the down and out,
not to “ethical culture,” but to the wonders of
salvation through Christ, John Callahan joins
Gypsy Smith in putting unbelief to a stam
mering hush.
My last word: The Sam Jones Tabernacle
meetings continue for ten days from beginning,
August 3. Distant states are already repre
sented. Go, if you have to crawl; go!
BEER DEALERS ARE SCARED.
Down at Macon, Ga., the beer dealers are
trembling in their boots —and the “trembles”
are spreading all over Geor-
Judge Matthews gia.
“Abates a The Law Enforcement Lea-
Nuisance.” gue brought before Judge H.
A. Matthews a petition de
claring a certain “near beer” saloon to be a
nuisance. It was proven that intoxicants had
been sold there in violation of the law, and
this fact producing loitering and drunkenness
it was easy to establish the charge of “nuis
ance.”
After a full, impartial hearing, Judge Matth
ews granted a permanent injunction. That
means that such a petition can close any other
drinking place, and the work of the Law En
forcement League goes merrily on.
Judge Matthews has simply done his duty
like the honest, upright judge that he is. And
an honest, fearless judge and vigilant, fear
less people can close them anywhere.
The law-breaking blind tigers in Georgia
might as well pack their grips and move out.
Their ultimate destruction is nigh.
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