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Firebrand: Politics, Arson, Perjury, and an Embattled American City in 1912
In early 1912, the city of Fort Worth, Texas found itself in a firestorm, one that had political, religious, and criminal undertones. At the center of the controversy was a local minister, J. Frank Norris. Determined to make a name for himself, he adopted a sensational approach to preaching. He was the predecessor of the all culturally crusading clergymen and agitators to come.
Using a tent he had purchased from the famous actress Sarah Bernhardt, Norris railed against the sins of the city, especially its notorious Hell’s Half-Acre. The Acre was home to more than 80 saloons, gambling houses, and house of prostitution. Even Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid had spent a great deal of time there. It was popular with some, but it had become an embarrassment to more civic-minded citizens in the years before World War I.
Norris’s “clean up” campaign was opposed by entrenched interests in Fort Worth, and by many members of the local Chamber of Commerce and city government. Mayor W.D. “Bill” Davis called the men of the city together one cold night in the first week of 1912. He asked if there were “50 red-blooded men” in town who would silence the preacher.
Not long after this, a series of mysterious things began to happen. These included an attempted shooting and the delivery of mysterious notes threatening the life of J. Frank Norris. Then on the first Sunday of February, the beautiful edifice of First Baptist Church exploded in flames. It was clearly a case of arson. Many in Fort Worth believed that Norris himself set the fire. He was indicted several times for arson and perjury, and his court battles were a sensation followed by newspaper readers in Texas and around the country.
Did J. Frank Norris burn his own church and home for notoriety? Or was he the target and victim of some sinister conspiracy? Let the reader decide.
Using a tent he had purchased from the famous actress Sarah Bernhardt, Norris railed against the sins of the city, especially its notorious Hell’s Half-Acre. The Acre was home to more than 80 saloons, gambling houses, and house of prostitution. Even Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid had spent a great deal of time there. It was popular with some, but it had become an embarrassment to more civic-minded citizens in the years before World War I.
Norris’s “clean up” campaign was opposed by entrenched interests in Fort Worth, and by many members of the local Chamber of Commerce and city government. Mayor W.D. “Bill” Davis called the men of the city together one cold night in the first week of 1912. He asked if there were “50 red-blooded men” in town who would silence the preacher.
Not long after this, a series of mysterious things began to happen. These included an attempted shooting and the delivery of mysterious notes threatening the life of J. Frank Norris. Then on the first Sunday of February, the beautiful edifice of First Baptist Church exploded in flames. It was clearly a case of arson. Many in Fort Worth believed that Norris himself set the fire. He was indicted several times for arson and perjury, and his court battles were a sensation followed by newspaper readers in Texas and around the country.
Did J. Frank Norris burn his own church and home for notoriety? Or was he the target and victim of some sinister conspiracy? Let the reader decide.
98 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 7, 2013
1 person is currently reading
23 people want to read
About the author
David R. Stokes
30 books29 followersThough creating compelling copy has always been a part of his work as a minister and broadcaster, it wasn’t until David R. Stokes moved into his fifties that he got serious about writing books. Since then, he has written several highly regarded works of fiction and nonfiction, as well as three screenplays.
His first book, THE SHOOTING SALVATIONIST: J. Frank Norris and the Murder Trial that Captivated America (Steerforth/Penguin/Random House, 2011), a narrative non-fiction thriller set in the 1920s, quickly became a national true crime best-seller. BOOKLIST, in a starred review, said: “The book is engagingly written, in an immediate, you-are-there style, and the story is as compelling and surprising as any Grisham thriller. Top of the line.”
His next book was an espionage novel. CAMELOT’S COUSIN: The Spy Who Betrayed Kennedy now has more than 300 enthusiastic Amazon customer reviews. David has also written a screenplay adaptation, and the story has been optioned in Hollywood. He has also written a sequel—it’s called NOVEMBER SURPRISE.
Two of his books are “based on a true story” novels. JACK & DICK: When Kennedy Met Nixon describes the very first Kennedy-Nixon debate which took place in 1947, thirteen years before the two men ran against each other for the presidency in 1960. David brings this long-overlooked story to life and recreates a fascinating conversation between the two future presidents that took place on an over-night train ride back to Washington, DC.
JAKE & CLARA: Scandal, Politics, Hollywood, and Murder, is a dramatized, but factual account of a fascinating story that captivated American in 1921. A wealthy oil man who bankrolled much of Warren Harding’s successful run for the White House, was shot and killed by his mistress before Harding could reward him with high office.
David’s flair for historical detail and accuracy evident in both his nonfiction and fiction reflects his life long passion for stories from the past. Most of the books in his personal library of more than 7,000 volumes deal with international, political, and military history.
David first began working in radio during college days in the mid-1970s. Since those days, he has had his own national XM satellite radio talk show and is a regular guest-host for talk shows in across the country. Over the years he has interviewed hundreds of political leaders, authors, media personalities, historians, and business leaders. In addition, he has done voice over work, including projects for a Smithsonian affiliate and a presidential library. Political commentator Bob Beckel says: “Here’s a preacher who can range from ancient history, to political history, to current events with ease.”
An ordained minister for nearly 40 years, he has led congregations in Texas, Ohio, Illinois, and New York. Since 1998, David has served as Senior Pastor of Expectation Church in Fairfax, Virginia. In conjunction with his ministry work, he has written several books related to issues of faith and inspiration. For information about these resources, please visit the ministry website.
David has been married to his wife Karen for more than 40 years, and they have three wonderful daughters and seven incredible grandchildren.
His first book, THE SHOOTING SALVATIONIST: J. Frank Norris and the Murder Trial that Captivated America (Steerforth/Penguin/Random House, 2011), a narrative non-fiction thriller set in the 1920s, quickly became a national true crime best-seller. BOOKLIST, in a starred review, said: “The book is engagingly written, in an immediate, you-are-there style, and the story is as compelling and surprising as any Grisham thriller. Top of the line.”
His next book was an espionage novel. CAMELOT’S COUSIN: The Spy Who Betrayed Kennedy now has more than 300 enthusiastic Amazon customer reviews. David has also written a screenplay adaptation, and the story has been optioned in Hollywood. He has also written a sequel—it’s called NOVEMBER SURPRISE.
Two of his books are “based on a true story” novels. JACK & DICK: When Kennedy Met Nixon describes the very first Kennedy-Nixon debate which took place in 1947, thirteen years before the two men ran against each other for the presidency in 1960. David brings this long-overlooked story to life and recreates a fascinating conversation between the two future presidents that took place on an over-night train ride back to Washington, DC.
JAKE & CLARA: Scandal, Politics, Hollywood, and Murder, is a dramatized, but factual account of a fascinating story that captivated American in 1921. A wealthy oil man who bankrolled much of Warren Harding’s successful run for the White House, was shot and killed by his mistress before Harding could reward him with high office.
David’s flair for historical detail and accuracy evident in both his nonfiction and fiction reflects his life long passion for stories from the past. Most of the books in his personal library of more than 7,000 volumes deal with international, political, and military history.
David first began working in radio during college days in the mid-1970s. Since those days, he has had his own national XM satellite radio talk show and is a regular guest-host for talk shows in across the country. Over the years he has interviewed hundreds of political leaders, authors, media personalities, historians, and business leaders. In addition, he has done voice over work, including projects for a Smithsonian affiliate and a presidential library. Political commentator Bob Beckel says: “Here’s a preacher who can range from ancient history, to political history, to current events with ease.”
An ordained minister for nearly 40 years, he has led congregations in Texas, Ohio, Illinois, and New York. Since 1998, David has served as Senior Pastor of Expectation Church in Fairfax, Virginia. In conjunction with his ministry work, he has written several books related to issues of faith and inspiration. For information about these resources, please visit the ministry website.
David has been married to his wife Karen for more than 40 years, and they have three wonderful daughters and seven incredible grandchildren.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 18, 2013
Per the book description, *Firebrand* introduces the life, and early scandals surrounding, preacher J. Frank Norris. Especially for those who are interested in American religion and fundamentalism, it's a good read. I picked the book up when I found it free on Kindle several days ago and blazed (pun intended) through it relatively quickly. Its descriptions of rough-and-tumble Forth Worth and the young, fast-growing Baptist church were interesting.
Unfortunately, I had several concerns with the book:
First, the sources are not clearly cited. Perhaps proper citation doesn't worry most readers, but I am a college teacher who goes over citation twice a year with every writing class, and I teach them that citation is important for two reasons: 1) Interested readers are able to find and read the original sources, and 2) Using correct citation boosts the writer's credibility as an educated, detail-oriented person. Therefore, the sloppy citations in *Firebrand* concerned me. While I realize that the author may not have studied citation since college English, and that editing is harder for Kindle editions, I was surprised to see quotes included without attribution and details supplied about early 20th century Texas and about Norris without their original source; most of the citation is simply a Works Cited at the end of the novel, without any footnotes to link source to information supplied.
Second, I found it difficult to keep track of with whom - if anyone - my sympathies should lie. The author casts sufficient doubt on Norris's actions to make the reader suspect that his true passion is stirring controversy, not building faith; he describes the burgeoning church population and the hellish splits often enough to cast doubt on Norris's pastoral skills, yet Norris's stand against the depravities of Hell's Half-Acre prompted my sympathies to shift from Norris's opponents to Norris himself (Don't get me wrong: I am very different from Norris and love a good drink now and then, but I also realize the corruption of the brothels and saloons in the Old West.) While I realize that original documents only go so far, I would have preferred better closure on the perjury and arson trials: Impossible as it is to determine whether Norris perjured himself and / or burned down his own church, it's difficult to tell whether Stokes thinks Norris at all admirable. That lack of closure makes the book ultimately disappointing.
Unfortunately, I had several concerns with the book:
First, the sources are not clearly cited. Perhaps proper citation doesn't worry most readers, but I am a college teacher who goes over citation twice a year with every writing class, and I teach them that citation is important for two reasons: 1) Interested readers are able to find and read the original sources, and 2) Using correct citation boosts the writer's credibility as an educated, detail-oriented person. Therefore, the sloppy citations in *Firebrand* concerned me. While I realize that the author may not have studied citation since college English, and that editing is harder for Kindle editions, I was surprised to see quotes included without attribution and details supplied about early 20th century Texas and about Norris without their original source; most of the citation is simply a Works Cited at the end of the novel, without any footnotes to link source to information supplied.
Second, I found it difficult to keep track of with whom - if anyone - my sympathies should lie. The author casts sufficient doubt on Norris's actions to make the reader suspect that his true passion is stirring controversy, not building faith; he describes the burgeoning church population and the hellish splits often enough to cast doubt on Norris's pastoral skills, yet Norris's stand against the depravities of Hell's Half-Acre prompted my sympathies to shift from Norris's opponents to Norris himself (Don't get me wrong: I am very different from Norris and love a good drink now and then, but I also realize the corruption of the brothels and saloons in the Old West.) While I realize that original documents only go so far, I would have preferred better closure on the perjury and arson trials: Impossible as it is to determine whether Norris perjured himself and / or burned down his own church, it's difficult to tell whether Stokes thinks Norris at all admirable. That lack of closure makes the book ultimately disappointing.
May 18, 2014
FIREBRAND's appeal will be to former Fundamentalists and students of modern church history. The narrative is extremely readable and it easily captivates. If you are a survivor of the Jack Hyles or SWORD OF THE LORD stratum of Fundamentalism, you will see the very roots of this culture in J Frank Norris. Norris was very frank and clear in his choice of sensationalized preaching over expository preaching in order to increase his numbers. Readers will also see where Jack Hyles discovered the story of his childhood. He simply took Norris' childhood as his own. The two are identical, except for one episode.
There are some flaws in Stokes' storytelling. I can forgive the lack of citations. My problem was that the author actually slips into J Frank Norris's head to tell us about Norris's heart sinking, etc. Tidbits like these were distracting and misleading since the book reaches no conclusions about whether or not Norris was actually guilty. A book can either read like a story, or it can read like an analysis, but trying a little bit of both styles in one book is not successful. If Stokes can tell me of Norris' disappointments, he can also tell me of his guilt or innocence. However, this is a minor niggle. FIREBRAND offers a quick, informative read that will offer some historical insights to the increasing number of young adults who wrestle with the devastating effects of the Christian Fundamentalist culture.
There are some flaws in Stokes' storytelling. I can forgive the lack of citations. My problem was that the author actually slips into J Frank Norris's head to tell us about Norris's heart sinking, etc. Tidbits like these were distracting and misleading since the book reaches no conclusions about whether or not Norris was actually guilty. A book can either read like a story, or it can read like an analysis, but trying a little bit of both styles in one book is not successful. If Stokes can tell me of Norris' disappointments, he can also tell me of his guilt or innocence. However, this is a minor niggle. FIREBRAND offers a quick, informative read that will offer some historical insights to the increasing number of young adults who wrestle with the devastating effects of the Christian Fundamentalist culture.
July 10, 2013
I thought the ebook was great.
May 17, 2017
Stokes can weave a good tale. He is a good storyteller that always has the facts straight. This is one more addition to a growing body of work based on history and real life. A great read!
July 29, 2013
Great job, Dave!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews