THE KING’S BUSINESS
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him with such confidence that he could not reject him. When Burke told him he wanted him to give him work he shook his head, saying that he dared not, as his other men would leave if he put an ex convict to work among them. , He finally gave him a half-dollar and told him he would see what he could do. Burke tramped the streets for weeks, offering to do the most menial work, but no man would hire him. Thus far, while attending religious meetings wherever he could hear of them, and eagerly drinking, in the truths, he had identified himself with no church. But one night, passing the First M. E. Church, he heard the singing and went in. After the service, the people showed themselves friendly, and he subsequently attached himself to that church and remained a most faithful member and constant attend ant until the day of his death, more than fifteen years later. GOES TO NEW YORK At this time two of the wealthiest and most benevolent men in St. Louis were members of the church Burke had joined, and they interested themselves in his wel fare. They were unable to get honest work for him but gave him enough money to keep him alive. One day, weary and discouraged, ,he met a man whom he had known in his old days, and who had acted as a fence for thieves, though disposed to be respectable himself. He greeted Burke cordially, asking him how long he had been out and inquired how he was “fixed” financially. Now it so happened that Burke had a cousin on the police force of New .York City, and he had often thought that if he could get to New York his cousin might get him a job as policeman, for his ambition was to get some place bf public trust where he would be constantly in evi dence to those who had known him as a thief and where he could thus be a witness to the power of God’s grace. So he answered his friend that he was short, and, in response to the display of a roll of bills
thought I would read it, for perhaps I knew the fellow. I read on and became interested, for I had never read or heard anything like it in my life, and before I laid the paper down I was born again.” These were his exact words afterwards, and would have seemed absurd if uttered at the time, but the sequence showed them to be true. A band of “Willing Workers” were accustomed to visit the jail on Sunday afternoons. Burke had paid no attention to them heretofore, but now eagerly lis tened to'their preaching of the gospel and made their acquaintance. The testing of his faith was to come soon, however, and one day his lawyer, a noted criminal attor ney to whom he had paid $100 as a retain ing fee, visited him and presented some papers for his signature. To his surprise Burke began reading them, and to his greater surprise laid them down, saying: “I cannot sign this.” “Why not?” asked the lawyer, and to his amazement Burke answered, “Because it is not true, and you know it.” “Well,” said the lawyer, “if you do not sign ’it there is no chance for you and I will throw up your case,” and so he did. When Burke’s case was called in court he was without an attorney. PRISON SWINGS OPEN Fully expecting to be sent to the peni tentiary, which he dreaded now more than ever, what was his surprise and joy to hear the prosecuting attorney announce that because of a lack of witnesses he would ask that the case be “nolleprossed.” Thus Burke found himself a free man! But now he found himself in a strange position. He could not go to his former, comrades in crime, though they would have willingly assisted him, for he had turned his back forever on the old life. He therefore sought out a young Christian business man, whose acquaintance he had made in jail as a “Willing Worker,” and who was prominently identified with the Y. M. C. A. This man was surprised and apparently not over-pleased to see Burke walk into his office, but Burke approached
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