Tag: Billy Sunday

Billy Sunday held a revival campaign in South Bend in 1913

Author’s collection

The following article appeared in The South Bend Tribune. November 7, 1935.

Sunday Heard by Big Crowds Here in 1913

Rev. William Ashley Sunday, who died suddenly Wednesday evening in the home of a friend in Rogers Park, a suburb of Chicago, conducted in South Bend in 1913 what probably was the greatest series of evangelistic meetings ever held in Indiana. His campaign began Sunday, April 27, and continued for seven weeks.

For two months before the famous Billy Sunday opened his meetings in South Bend workmen were engaged in the construction of one of the largest buildings ever erected in the city which became known as the tabernacle. It was built of wood on vacant land between Vistula avenue, now Lincoln Way East, and the St. Joseph river, with Monroe street on the north and South street on the south. The tabernacle had a seating capacity of about 10,000. Reservations were made for the largest musical organization ever assembled in the city, a chorus of more than 1,000 voices. The ground floor was covered with sawdust and fine shavings, making a soft, thick carpet and the outstanding celebrated sawdust trail.

4,000 at Dedication.

Mr. Sunday and his party were quartered in three houses at 515, 517 and 519 South Carroll street. His housekeeper, Mrs. J. W. Foults, of Cleveland, O., had charge of the households. The tabernacle was under the supervision of Fred Seitz, a close friend of the evangelist, who had charge of his tabernacles in the various places where services were held.

The tabernacle was dedicated on Sunday evening, April 20, more than 4,000 persons presenting many denominations in South Bend and elsewhere being present. Rev. Dr. Henry L. Davis, pastor of the First M. E. church, chairman of the tabernacle building committee, presided. He then introduced to E. C. Miller, chairman of the executive committee for the St. Joseph County Evangelistic association, which was largely instrumental in bringing Mr. Sunday to the city. Mr. Miller told of the purpose for which the tabernacle was built. The invocation was by Rev. Peter Moredyke, pastor of the First Reformed church, now out of existence.

Rev. C. V. Mull, pastor of the United Brethren church, led the responsive reading. The scripture lesson was read by Rev. J. C. Tomes, pastor of the Christian Church, of Mishawaka. Rev. Thomas W. Powell, pastor of the Quincy Baptist church, preached, his subject being “Divine Urgency.” Rev. A. C. Ormond, pastor of the Presbyterian church in Mishawaka, spoke on “God’s Victories,” praising Mr. Sunday’s work and saying that if Christian people could operate 40,000 souls in South Bend and Mishawaka could be saved. The benediction was by Rev. Dr. C. A. Lippincott, pastor of the First Presbyterian church.

Nursery Provided.

Marvin Campbell, chairman of the finance committee, announced that in addition to this the association would pay half of the salaries of Mr. Sunday’s co-workers. Mr. Sunday was not to receive anything until the last Sunday of the services when the entire collection was to go to him. Rev. C. A. Decker, pastor of the First Baptist church, told of preparations for handling the big crowds.

A nursery where parents left their children while the parents attended the meetings was situated near the tabernacle and was in charge of Miss Babcock, head of the city’s kindergarten training schools. Children under five years of age were not allowed to attend the services.

Before the tabernacle was completed South Bend business men began the erection of large and small billboards near the entrances to the tabernacle. This aroused the indignation of religious people to a point of battle and vigorous protests were made against the signs.

Nearly 20,000 Listen.

Members of the Sunday party arrived in South Bend previous to

The_South_Bend_Tribune_1935_11_07_1

SUNDAY SPOKE IN CITY IN 1913

Continued from Page One.

Saturday, April 26, and prepared for the great Sunday opening. Mr. and Mrs. Sunday arrived Saturday afternoon and the evangelistic services began the following day. The great evangelist’s first utterances were made before an enormous gathering. Hour after hour on the opening day nearly 20,000 upturned faces watched and listened in the great tabernacle. The morning crowd was estimated at 7,000, the afternoon at 4,000 and the evening at 8,000. Favorable weather, leaders of the movement believed, would have swelled the crowd to nearly 25,000. The morning collection amounted to $184, the afternoon to $70.28 and the night to $167.93, making a total for the day of $425.51. From the first meeting to the last seven weeks later Mr. Sunday had great crowds.

The great evangelist’s services closed on Sunday, June 15. On that day the collection amounted to approximately $10,000. The collection was given to Mr. Sunday. The total of collections for the seven weeks was $24,227.98, the total attendance was 600,050 and the total conversions 6,389. The taking of the offering for Mr. Sunday was one of the features of the closing day of his great campaign. A number of persons in South Bend and Mishawaka contributed $100 each. The largest individual contribution was $200 given by Samuel Murdock, of Lafayette, Ind., a well known and devout Catholic and one of the owners of the Chicago, South Bend & Northern Indiana railway of South Bend.

After Rev. Mr. Sunday completed his services and left the city the great frame tabernacle was torn down and the lumber was removed. The site is now covered by some of the best residences in South Bend and is known as Edgewater place.

The_South_Bend_Tribune_1935_11_07_2

Billy Sunday preached at the Evansville Rescue Mission November 1-5, 1933

MISSION PLANS SUNDAY RALLY
Evangelist to Speak Each Evening, Nov. 1 to 5

Doors of the Evansville Rescue Mission will open at 7 o’clock nightly during the week Billy Sunday, noted evangelist, will preach there. He will speak at 7:30 o’clock each evening from Nov. 1 to 5, and also at 2:30 o’clock Sunday, the closing day.

Speakers for the coming week will be: Sunday afternoon at 5 o’clock, J. R. Duncan; Monday night, Rev. W. F. Brown; Tuesday, Rev. Wayne Buchanon; Wednesday, Ladies’ Night; Thursday, Rev. R. O. McRae; Friday, John R. Mason.

Popular meeting is scheduled for 7:30 o’clock Sunday night. Campers’ club will meet at 10 o’clock Saturday morning.

During the past week, 1,408 persons attended services at the Mission; 144 men, six women and four children were given lodging; 567 lunches were served, and a sewing machine, two chairs, a dresser, a davenport and a mattress were given away.

Singers from local churches will be featured in connection with Billy Sunday’s services.

Evansville Journal. October 27, 1933: 3.

George M. Sunday, son of Bill Sunday, dies from fall, Sept 1933

George M. Sunday

INJURIES ARE FATAL TO BILLY SUNDAY’S SON
George M. Sunday

By United Press

SAN FRANCISCO—George M. Sunday, 40, son of the evangelist, Billy Sunday, is dead of injuries suffered last week when he fell three stories from a window of his apartment.

He died under anesthetic while four doctors were resetting his fractured jaw. His family, assured he would recover, was not present.

Sunday’s mother said she had a premonition of death. At about the hour he died, she sat at the piano in her son’s apartment and played “Nearer My God to Thee.” A telephone call telling her of his death came as she finished.

Authorities said an inquest would be held Wednesday to decide whether Sunday jumped from the window. It was reported he had quarreled with his wife and mother shortly before he fell. Sunday insisted his fall was an accident.

Cited from: Evansville Press, September 12, 1933: pg 1.

YOUNG SUNDAY DIES OF HURTS
Son Of Evangelist Declares Fall Was Accident

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 11 (AP) George M. Sunday, 40, son of Billy Sunday, the evangelist, died here to- night from injuries received in a fall from a window of his fourth-floor apartment Thursday night.

His jaw broken by the fall, Sunday denied in a scribbled note the asser- tion of his wife, the former Mauryne Reichard of Hollywood, that they had quarreled.

“I lost my balance and fell out,” he wrote. “I had no argument, I had not been drinking.”

Mrs. Sunday, who married the evangelist’s son after his divorce from his first wife, told police of a violent scene in which her husband struck her in the eye, broke one of her fingers and then threatened suicide.

Wife Tells of Threats

She quoted him as saying he was “going down and jump in the bay.”

Shortly afterward, she said, she heard groans, rushed to the living room and found he had dropped out of the window.

Sunday suffered fractures of the left leg, both jaws, thigh and knee-cap, severe lacerations of the face and head, and concussion.

Dr. Edgar H. Howell, attending physician, said: “The shock of the mul- tiple fractures and contusions he received caused Mr. Sunday’s death.” Sunday had been reported recovering.

At the bedside were Sunday’s father, who cancelled meetings in Port- land, Ore., to come here, his mother and his wife.

The widow told authorities her hus- band had been ill and worried by financial difficulties recently. She filed a suit for divorce here several months ago, but withdrew it a week later and announced a reconciliation had been completed.

An inquest will be held tomorrow. Mrs. Sunday said funeral services will be held in Los Angeles.

Cited in: The Anderson Herald. Sept 9, 1933: 1.

‘BILLY’ SUNDAY AT SON’S BEDSIDE
SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 9.—(AP)—

William A. ‘Billy’ Sunday, evangelist, arrived here today to be with his son, George M. Sunday, who is in a hospital with severe injuries after a 75-foot plunge from the window of his apartment Thursday night.

‘Nothing could keep me from my son at a time like this,’ said the evangelist. He cancelled a revival meeting in Portland, Ore.

Physicians said George Sunday will recover. His wife, the former Mauryne Reichard of Hollywood, said he had suffered a nervous breakdown recently and that his fall occurred after a violent scene in their apartment.

Evansville Courier and Press. 9.10.33: 2

Billy Sunday Reaches Injured Son’s Bedside

SAN FRANCISCO, Cal., Sept. 9.—(AP)—William A. (Billy) Sunday, evangelist, arrived here today to be with his son, George M. Sunday, who is in a hospital suffering severe injuries after a 75-foot plunge from the window of his apartment Thursday night.

“Nothing could keep me from my son at a time like this,” said the evangelist. He canceled a revival meeting in Portland, Ore.

Physicians said George Sunday will recover. His wife, the former Mauryne Reichard of Hollywood, said he had suffered a nervous breakdown recently and that his fall occurred after a violent scene in their apartment.

The Indianapolis Star. Sun, Sep 10, 1933 ·Page 3

What were some of Billy Sunday’s favorite author’s and books?

From Spectacular Career (198-201)

Mr. Sunday’s literary activities are carried on for the most part at Winona and sometimes at his fruit ranch in Oregon. The exacting demands on his time during a campaign admit of very little new work. At Winona it is his favorite method to take his Bible and spend the long days beneath the trees reading. This he calls resting and with the single exception of preaching to a responsive audience, is his favorite occupation. He is also fond of books relating to evangelistic and kindred work.

Books in the Billy Sunday home, Winona Lake, Indiana.

— “There are some books I like to read” he says, “I consider the Bible the best of them all. I also think the lives of Peter Cartwright, Charles G. Finney and John G. Paton are among the greatest of all books. Finney converted the owner of the New York mills at Utica, New York, and since he campaigned there, the mills have not been in the hands of non-Christian men.

He never goes into the pulpit with more than an outline before him. His extraordinary memory permits him to quote lengthy passages verbatim, but on this he does not rely for effect.

In comparing his sermons for use Mr. Sunday begins by noting various quotations and anecdotes which will illustrate the theme he wishes to handle. Notations of these are made on all sorts of scraps of paper and are then turned over to his secretary who shapes them into memoranda. Gradually the sermon takes form in the preacher’s mind and then with a great sheaf of notes in his hand he whips the whole into something like the form in which it will be used. Seldom if ever, however, are even his famous sermons preached twice exactly alike. He never goes into the pulpit with more than an outline before him. His extraordinary memory permits him to quote lengthy passages verbatim, but on this he does not rely for effect. It is in the infusion of intense personal enthusiasm that the most remarkable results from his discourses come.

In his earlier days Mr. Sunday made no effort to copyright any of his writings. What he considered unwarranted liberties with the text, however, later prompted him to do so, and in a little more than three years he copyrighted no less than 31 of his discourses.

The records of the Library of Congress show the following titles, copyrights of which are in his name:

Amusements.

And he said tomorrow.

Atonement.

Backsliders.

Behold, I stand at the door and knock.

Get on the water wagon.

Great reward.

Home.

Hope.

How shall we escape?

How to succeed.

If any man will.

If ye love me, keep my commandments.

Incarnation.

Is it well with thee?

Judgment.

Little plain talks—Character.

Moral leper.

Nathan and David.

No man cared for my soul.

Not far from the Kingdom.

Nuts for skeptics to crack.

Power of motherhood.

Question of the ages.

Samson.

Three great questions.

Three groups.

Twenty-third Psalm.

Unpardonable sin.

What must I do to be saved?

What shall the end be?

Title to one other copyright stands in the name of Mr. Sunday, this is for a book entitled “Life and Labors of Rev. Wm. A. (Billy) Sunday, the Great Modern Evangelist; With Selected Sermons.” It was copyrighted in the year 1908 by S. T. Herman and E. E. Poole; of Decatur, Illinois, and published by a printing establishment in Chicago.

The only feature of the book, which properly can be considered a life, are four pages of introduction. In the first paragraph of this introduction there are no less than five errors in fact, other portions of the meager outline are more or less at variance with actual conditions, although there is nothing to indicate any greater offense than carelessness.

The bulk of the 360 pages is taken up with reproductions of sermons. The readers of the book, if there be any, would have recognized whole pages of familiar expressions which he had heard in the tabernacle. The evangelist, however, more intimately familiar with the construction of all his works, finds that a number of his sermons were ruthlessly joined together and the entire continuity of thought disturbed.

Mr. Sunday, therefore, made it his business, at a considerable outlay in cash, to secure both the copy-right and the plates of the book, which he destroyed and effectively prevented any further issue. Copies are extremely rare and indeed none are known to exist outside of the Library of Congress. Thus ended the only previous attempt to put in book form the doings of the evangelist.

The final numbers of the Richmond, Indiana, 1922 campaign?

As reported below in the Palladium-Item. Mon, May 29, 1922 ·Page 1

GIVE SUNDAY $10,718 ON FINAL NIGHT

“Fine, That’s Dandy, You Did Great” Evangelist Declares as Total Amount Is Read by Chairman.

5,007 ARE CONVERTED

REVIVAL DATA

Sunday’s offering $10,718.04

Campaign expenses $17,000.00

Trail Hitters 5,876

Attendance 247,250

Tabernacle sermons 75

Total sermons 76

Prayer meetings 352

Richmond presented Billy Sunday with $10,718.04 as a result of the final collections on Sunday, and the donations were received during the week from persons who did not expect to be in Richmond on Sunday.

“Fine, that’s dandy, you did great,” Sunday said as the total amount was read by Ed Wilson, treasurer of the campaign, who handed a draft for that amount to Mr. Sunday.

“I saw more tears tonight than I ever seen in any town for a long time, and if we could just continue for two weeks more we could just more than make things hum” Sunday said.

On the last Sunday in Charleston, the collections were announced as $34,658.

“The papers in this town have done better in covering this campaign from every angle than any other city I have been in.” – Billy Sunday

Thanks Local People

Thanks for the services of the men and women who had taken part in the campaign, were given before and after the sermon.

“If the other people had stood behind the campaign here with the enthusiasm and loyalty that the newspapers have shown and the committees have taken their part, the campaign here would have been a big success,” Rev. E. Howard Brown, pastor of the East Main Street Friends meetings, said in asking for the envelopes.

“I have envelopes here showing that most of the different churches did not get in their reports, and we have a number of men and women who came forward and signed cards saying that they accepted Jesus as their personal savior, and the denominations probably have their records.”

Creates Big Racquet

Will Romey, junior, on behalf of the boys who had been singing in the choir, presented Mr. Sunday with a record the chorus leader with a record of the boys’ singing, and the audience applauded.

Before the sermon all of the members of the party were called to the platform to say goodbye to the audience. Only Albert Peterson was absent, he having left last Wednesday to attend the funeral of his grandmother at Ottumwa, Iowa. “Pete’s all right, pure gold,” Sunday declared.

As the members of the party were leaving the platform Mrs. Sunday placed her hand on Mr. Sunday’s shoulder, and said, “If you see the members of the party are pure gold too, from here down through the list.”

The audience applauded.

Thanks Newspapers

Mr. Sunday said, “The papers in this town have done better in covering this campaign from every angle than any other city I have been in.”

He continued, “If it hadn’t been for the automobiles that they loaned to the party during the campaign, Mrs. Asher, George Sunday, and Bob Matthews, sang their final punctuating melodies, and the audience joined in singing the last hymn of the other musical number of greatest interest was Mr. Brown’s singing of “I Am Praying for You.”

The chorus sang the first and second phrases while the big, long floor of the tabernacle sang the second and last phrases. The music that echoed down the longer stretches of the tabernacle, was like a choir in a huge cathedral, and the music seemed to chance to carry through long rows of columns.

Billy Sunday preached 95 times during his Richmond, Indiana campaign in 1922

Billy Sunday preached 75 times in the tabernacle during the six weeks of his Richmond campaign (April 16 – June 4), and at least another 15 times outside the tabernacle, in surrounding towns close to Richmond. He sometimes preached four times in one day.

As reported in The Richmond Item. Sun, May 28, 1922 · age 7:

NINETY SERMONS TO LAST NIGHT

Old Man Statistics Gives Some Interesting Figures to The Item Reporters

Old Man Statistics dropped into The Item press box, yesterday, and when the reporters were not there, left a bundle of facts. He said Billy Sunday would preach his ninetieth sermon Saturday night, since the day he arrived at Richmond.

That seemed rather too many for the reporter who checked up on it. Yep! Old Man Statistics was all right, it appeared. With the sermon last night Mr. Sunday, has preached 90 at the tabernacle, if one counted the afternoon that Mr. Sunday spoke to the children when the Sunday school convention was held there.

To bring the total to 90, Old Man Statistics, mentioned two sermons at the country club, others at the high school, Earlham college or at the Pennsylvania shops. Then came trips to Portland, Anderson, Greenville, Bradford, O., and the morning sermons each day this week, at Liberty, Hagerstown, Spiceland and Cambridge City.

Billy Sunday donated the equivalent of almost $4 million to Pacific Garden Mission, the Y.M.C.A, and the Red Cross.

As reported by The Richmond Item. Fri, May 26, 1922 ·Page 7.

SUNDAY DONATES SUM OF $120,485

Then on Top of That he Gives $65,000 to Pacific Garden Mission of Chicago

Those who call Billy Sunday a grafter were asked yesterday afternoon to hear a little of some past donations of the evangelist. He told his tabernacle audience that when he was in New York City (c. 1917) he told the people coming to the tabernacle to give him all they were able to and he would give it all to the Red Cross and the Y. M. C. A., for their war work.

New York City gave me $120,485, Mr. Sunday said, and I turned over every cent for the work that I had said I would. I went to Chicago and the city gave me $65,000 and I gave the sum to the Pacific garden mission. I give away a tenth of my income. And that is all right. I do not advertise all the things I do with my money. I do not tell all the world the things that I pay off. You follow me around, some of you, and I will make you dizzy with the money I give away. But I don’t have to tell anyone. It is written down above so that is all that matters.

No Guarantee

When Mr. Sunday promised to come to Richmond, he was guaranteed nothing, and all that was to go to him was the free-will offerings the last day of the campaign. He exclaimed, I wonder whether any circus would come to your city on that basis just take up a collection. I wonder whether your county or city officials would collect its taxes on that basis take up a collection. I wonder whether they would let you go to the movies and then take up a collection. No collection for Dempsey when he stood ten minutes in the ring and received $300,000. Oh! no. If I got some of you pay more for your gasoline each year than you do for your church. Oh. it makes me mad when I see you putting God on a five and ten cent basis.

Little

Like one old bird who was always at prayer meeting giving testimony and telling of all he did when he had more on tobacco than he gave to the church in 13 years.

Mr. Sunday preached on God So Loved the World. The Rev. Alford of Columbus, O., made opening prayer. Messrs Mathews and Rodeheaver sang a duet. Mr. Rodeheaver sang My Wonderful Dream. following the sermon, Mr. Sunday gave the invitation and six persons responded.

had found the sheep that was lost. He took her tenderly, and in his shepherd’s plaid he carried her to the fold. One, two, three, four, five, six ninety-six, ninety-seven, ninety-eight, ninety-nine and one hundred. He locked the fold and entered the cabin and she had fallen exhausted on the floor.

She was lying there panting and at the sound of his voice and footsteps she staggered to her knees, reeling and fell dead.

That Jesus Christ should come to this old world to give us a chance to be saved, to try and find us, cursed and scarred and bruised with sin. That is God’s message to us. He so loved the world, that he gave his only Begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Once, years ago in New York I was told there lived a wealthy Christian merchant. He married a beautiful woman, gave her a bank account and unknown to him she drank. She used to go away and visit friends on pretence of visiting relatives. She kept it up and at last fell into a life of sin and shame.

One night he came home and found a note telling him that she had gone away never to return. That her life could not merit his true, Christian character and life. He hired detectives and they searched every where and they could not find her.

Copies of her pictures were left with the police and with undertakers around the country and he said, If you run across her body, use the best clothes that money can buy, buy the finest casket, etc.; bank it with flowers and send for me.

Three years went by when the phone rang and a voice said, We have found her.

And he went to the undertaking establishment and as he looked through the glass upon her face, he cried, Oh, Mary, if you only knew how I loved you, you would have come back.

He stood weeping as if his heart would break and he said, Bury her.

And he erected a costly monument and said to the undertaker, Put on it one word: Forgiven.

That is God’s message to us. He forgives our transgressions, and I am glad that I have a God and that I have a Salvation like that to preach to you.

New song introduced at May 1922 Richmond campaign for attendees

  1. Oh, happy day when Billy came,
    To teach us faith in Jesus name
    He taught us how to work and pray,
    And live more closely every day.
    Chorus:Happy day, happy day
    When Billy came for a six weeks’ stay.
  2. Oh, happy day when “Rodie” came
    And with his smile put gloom to shame,
    He taught us how to laugh and sing,
    And go home blessing every thing.
    Chorus:Happy day, happy day
    When “Rodie” came for a six weeks stay.
  3. Oh, happy day when Mrs. Asher came,
    To sing the praises of our King.
    There’s Bob and Pete, Miss Kinney too
    Who teach us how to chase the blues.
    Chorus:Happy day, happy day
    When Rapp signed up for this six weeks stay.

Cited in: Palladium-Item. Thu, May 18, 1922 ·Page 1