This is a story about a fascinating character from our community. His name has been changed.

Everyone knew him as "The Street Preacher," but no one really knew him until the night the old City Hotel burned down. Jacob Farley was a fixture in the small city amongst the rolling hills of Pennsylvania. The governing class of the city was quietly embarrassed by him. The locals of our community found him amusing and those passing through just kept their distance.

The Preacher was an oddity, but I always wondered if inside that peculiar mind dwelled a genius who was just slightly eccentric. He carried with him all his worldly possessions, and dressed outrageously with winter garb in the heat of the summer. Always with a knit cap on his balding head, and a shovel or broom that he used as a guitar as he sang praises to his Heavenly Father.

He appeared not to have care in the world and time and circumstances would prove this to be true. He had been in the city for years. Some knew a bit about him, others didn't venture to know. But, we could always depend on seeing him on a street corner boldly preaching God's word. He lived under the stars and laid his head where ever he could find a dry spot. Jacob did what most homeless people do, he sang for his supper and did odd jobs for a little cash. But he was always content.

During the summer of 1997 we awoke in the night to a terrible stench. It wasn't until the next day that we found out that we were smelling the smoke from the City Hotel burning. We walked down the street to watch the efforts to put out the blaze. The old hotel that was going to be razed that very week, burned for over a week. The fire fighters practically lived there, and the investigators determined that is was arson!

I am not sure how many days had passed, but it came out in the paper that the preacher had been arrested for torching the hotel. Jacob had been seen near the crime scene {which could have applied to everyone} and the District Attorney was happy to have closure to this deed. He had no idea of what kind of Pandora's Box he had opened, with what seemed to be a hasty arrest. The community was outraged, and letters to the editor went out in volumes concerning the preacher's fate.

Jacob however, was not daunted. He went before the judge for his hearing and for bail to set. This odd street preacher didn't care that he couldn't raise bail. He told the judge that God would use him in prison and if God wanted him out of prison, no force could keep him there."This is my Father's would,"He said.""If He wants me out of prison He can and will make it happen." {A quote from the newspaper}He preached day and night. nothing could tear apart his contentment. He really didn't have a care in the world! He preached so much that the other prisoners started complaining and Jacob was put in solitary. .and he preached and preached and preached!

But, the D.A. had his man and was eager to put the matter to rest. Another prisoner had come forward and said that Jacob told him that he was going to burn the hotel down. It had been a hangout for drug dealers and Jacob wanted it destroyed, so he said. Ah-Ha! This is just what the D.A. needed! The D.A. was hot on this new development, and still Jacob was undaunted and preached and preached and preached.

The District Attorney was losing favor with the community as it rallied around our friend. It kind of brought our city together with a common goal. Employees from a local store where Jacob had shoveled snow bought him a new bible. And, everyone wrote to him in prison. We all knew he didn't do it. His living testimony told us that. Well, the D.A. wrung his hands and wiped his brow, and the preacher, preached and preached and preached.

Four months past and finally his trial came. A defense attorney came from another town and worked for free.{of course} He shot holes in all the evidence. Remember that other prisoner? Well he wasn't even in town when he said the preacher told him what he said.

Well, you know what happened. The charges were dismissed. Jacob moved on down the road to a neighboring town. A single bridge separates us from that town, so he didn't go far. Somewhere along the line someone gave him a beautiful guitar. { A real one!} Life is back to normal. Jacob is still on the street corners preacher and preaching and preaching.....