The Crucifixion of Philip StrongSheldon, Charles M.
General
The Crucifixion of Philip Strong
Sheldon, Charles M.
Christian fiction
"Men, made in God's image, listen to me! Do not take innocent life. If
you kill him, you kill me also. For I will never leave his side alive,
and I will not permit such murder if I can prevent it."
"Kill them both--the bloody coward and the priest!" yelled a voice.
"They both belong to the same church."
"Yes, hang 'em! hang 'em both!" A tempest of cries went up. Philip
towered up like a giant. In the light of the street lamp he looked out
over the great sea of passionate, brutal faces, crazed with drink and
riot, and a great wave of compassionate feeling swept over him. Those
nearest never forgot that look. It was Christlike in its yearning love
for lost children. His lips moved in prayer.
And just then the outer circle of the crowd seemed agitated. It had
surged up nearer the light with the evident intention of hanging the
mill-owner on one of the cross pieces of a telegraph pole near by. The
rope had again been thrown over his head. Philip stood with one arm
about Mr. Winter, and with the other hand stretched out in entreaty,
when he heard a pistol-shot, then another. The entire police department
had been summoned, and had finally arrived. There was a skirmishing
rattle of shots. But the crowd began to scatter in the neighborhood of
the police force. Then those nearer Philip began to run as best they
could away from the officers. Philip and the mill-owner were dragged
along with the rest in the growing confusion, until, watching his
opportunity, Philip pulled Mr. Winter behind one of the large poles by
which the lights of the street were suspended.
Here, sheltered a little, but struck by many a blow, Philip managed to
shield with his own body the man who only a little while before had come
into his own house and called him a liar, and threatened to withdraw his
church support, because of the preaching of Christ's principles.
When finally the officers reached the two men Mr. Winter was nearly dead
from the fright. Philip was badly bruised, but not seriously, and he
helped Mr. Winter back to the house, while a few of the police remained
on guard the rest of the night. It was while recovering from the effects
of the night's attack that Philip little by little learned of the facts
that led up to the assault.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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