His father operated a munitions foundry and young Hezmalhalch made shells for use by the Union soldiers during the American Civil War.

He recounted the experience that one night while riding on a horse he experienced the presence of God and began speaking in an unknown tongue.

To rehabilitate him, William Seymour sent him in early 1907 to Zion, Il, where Charles Parham had established a Pentecostal community.

Hezmalhalch, Lake, and Bosworth decamped to Indianapolis, where they assumed a leadership role amongst the local Pentecostals in late 1907.

[citation needed] Once in Indianapolis, Hezmalhalch and Lake created several new narratives about their pasts in order to cover up their involvement in recent events.

William Seymour gave his assent to this mission, and helped Hezmalhalch and Lake stage a fund-raising event in January/February 1908 in Indianapolis.