Rensselaer Republican, Volume 26, Number 19, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 January 1894 — A New “Keeley Cure.” [ARTICLE]

A New “Keeley Cure.”

EVANGELIST KEELEY GETS THRASHED. H. C. Keeley, the so-called evangelist, whose ribald arid insulting methods are well remembered in this locality, was knocked down, and pretty severely pounded by a young man whom he had publicly insulted in one of his meetings, in Wabash county. The Wabash Plaindealer qf last Thursday, has the following account of the affair:

An Evangelist Assaulted. Rev. Keeley, a Presbyterian minister, who has. been conducting protracted meetings in Lagro and at the Liberty church in Liberty township, was assaulted by Homer Hale, on the farm of the latter, southeast of the city, /Tuesday afternoon, and badly hurt. Stories of the affair as told by friends of the two differ radically. Bruce Asbury, who was the only witness of the affray, says that he had driven to Lafontaine to meet Keeley, who was coming in on the train, and on the way to his (Asbury’s) home they' stopped at Hale’s place, and drove into a field where Hale was at work, for the purpose of permitting Keeley to talk to Hale, who had been attending the meetings. When Asbury sought to introduce Keeley, Hale struck the evangelist, and then pulled him out of the buggy, and delivered several blows in Keeley’s face, the preacher making no resistance. Friends of Keeley, who have attended church, say that, while in bis addresses he used pretty strong language, they know of no personal affront to Hale, and claim to be ignorant of any cause for the attack.

A relative of Hale said, yesterday, that whatever might be said to the contrary the assault- was not without provocation. Homer bad attended the meetings bn a number of occasions, and during one service, while with a lady, bad, amused at some trivial occurrence, laughed aloud, and that in an instant the minister assailed him in the presence of the congregation. After the service a woman came to Hale and apologized for the remarks of the preacher, and the latter replied that it was all right, as he supposed he ought to have staid away from church. Nothing occurred until Tuesday, when Keeley drove into the field, and was being introduced, when Hale, recollecting the affair at the ehureh, remarked, “You are the man who insulted me at the church,” knocked him out c.t the buggy, and then picked him up, and replacing him in the vehicle, started the rig off the place. News of the affray, spread quickly all over the township, and caused a big sensation. Keeley was unable to appear at the church Tuesday evening, though the house was full. Last night scores were obliged to stand outside, and the minister proceeded with the service, with a swollen and discolored countenance. Keeley declined to file fen affidavit against Hale. Homer Hale, the man who did the above described job of evangelistic castigation, is a relative of the Grants, of this locality, and of Norman Warner's family. He also has other acquaintances here. He has the reputation of a quiet, wellbehaved young man, but also of a man who will not rest quietly under undeserved insults. The following dispatch from Wabash, regarding this matter appeared in the Indianapolis Journal, Monday: May Result In a Feud. Wabash, Ind., Dec. 30.—Not for years has the southern part of this county had such a sensation as that growing out of the whipping by Homer Hale, the well known horseman, of Rev. Keeley, State Evangelist of the Presbyterian Church, whose home is at Indianapolis. Although the assault occurred last Tuesday, excitment continues unabated and the general sentiment is one of condemnation of Hale. Last evening at the regular revival meeting at Liberty church, resolutions denouncing the assault as unprovoked, brutal and cowardly and condemning Hale in strong language, while expressing

sympathy with the minister, were adopted unanimously and the same were sent to the Wabash papers for publication. In addition, members of the church have placed the case in the hands of the prosecutor and demand that the grand jury indict Hale. Hale, on a plea of guilty before a justice, was fined |3, but as the prosecuting witness was confined to, his bed from injuries received, this is no bar to Indictment. Hale insists that he had provocation, but says he is sorry the affair occurred. The whole family is very proud and vindictive, and it is feared that the trouble will breed a feud in the county which will last for years. Rev. Keeley with his face swollen and discolored is speaking to crowded houses. i * The resolutions referred to in the

above are couched in the most violent, vindictive, not to say BDchristlanlike language. Language would have been appropriate to the denunciation of Booth for murdenng Lincoln, or of Guiteau for assassinating Garfield; but which was most deciiedly not appropriate to the simple thrashing of an insuiter by the insulted, even if the thrashed man was a preacher. The truth is the preacher who does not himself show respect for his calling is not entitled' to the respect of others on account of such callings-—“

A* man who will say, as Keeley did here, that he could look out of heaven and laugh to see his own mother’s agony in hell, if she were fool enough to get there; and who, for the sake of illustration, would compare the same relative to a harlot, ought not to have the respect of any right thinking person. His language was foul, his jokes smutty, his egotism and irreverence both collossal. He was constantly insulting people in the congregation for the most trivial causes, or for no causes at all. One of these cases was an- elderly and delicate lady, for wanting the window beside her closed. Another case was that of a prominent member

of the bar, who would no more think of misbehaving in church than he would of throwing a divorce case over his shoulder. His offense was moving from one pew into another. Still a worse case was his abusing of a saloon-keeper, of whose intended presence, at church, he had been previously informed, and whose wife, a most estimable lady in every way, had induced him to come, and was sitting by his side during a tirade of insulting abuse the like of which is seldom heard outside of the vilest slums. Referring to the saloon-keep-er, not as a man, but a “thing walking around on his split end” is a sample of his remarks Qn that occasion. It was this tirade that led to the slapping of Keeley’s face by the insulted wife of the saloon-keeper, the next evening. Still another case was his abuse from the pulpit, of a member of the church, whom he saw present in the audience, as a “mullett-head, 7 ahd a dozen other similar epithets, and a slanderous attempt at the same time, to injure the business standing of the banking firm the said meniber was connected with, and all on account of a false report attributing to the member a remark he never made. And when the “evangelist” was confronted the next day with positive proof of that fact, he, Keeley, solemnly promised to apologize for and to withdraw his slanders of the night before, and then went square back on the promise, thus adding to his previous insults and slander a deliberate violation of his word. Egotist L Pulpit swearer! Grumbler I: Ministerial hyena! These are terms applied to Keeley by a brother clergyman, the esteemed pastor of a Presbyterian church in Ohio. The hysterical resolutions, which are referred to above, characterize Hale’s attack on Keeley as “cowardly” and “unprovoked.” Inasmuch, however, as Keeley is a large and sinewy man, and had a friend with him, and Hale was entirely, alone, and used only his fists in the attack, we can not see how the attack can truthfully be called coward* ly. It was Keeley who acted the coward, if anyone. As to the offer se being “unprovoked”—why that will’ Xave to be told to some one less familiar with the Keeley methods, than the people of this vicinity,, to find credence.

Since the above was in type we have been handed a copy of the Wabash Times, of last Thursday. This gives a more extended account of the affair than the Plain Dealer; shows clearly that Hale had-strong provocation, and also that Keeley acted the consummate coward when attacked by Hale. In regard to the latter the Times says that “everybody who knows Homer dale, knows that he is a gentlemen, and one who would not do anything to cause disturbance in a house of worship. ; Keeley “bristled up” bravely enough when the little woman slapped bis jaw in Rensselaer and there was no man around to take her part. Acted in fact, as though he meant to strike beck, and probably would have done