The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1869-09-03
4 Warning Voice from the Prison Cell.

CHARLEs ORxE, recently executed for
murder at Stroudsburg. Pa, attributed all
his sufferings and crimes to the use of In.
toxicatinS iquors. Prior to his execution
he sent the following letter to the Phila-
delphia Inquirer, with request that it be
published:
"STRouDsBuHa tAtL.-I write this in
the hope that 1t may be the means Of ar
resting the attention, and saving some
young man from the path that leads to
death and hell-blights and ruins in this
world and fixes destiny in the next, amidst
the darkness of eternal night, for the
sacred volume declares No drunkard shall
inherit the kingdom of God Oh that I
could portray the horrors springing from
the first glass, you would shun It as you
would the road In which death in its most
hideous form was lurking would to God
I had died before l knew the love or pas
sion strong drink can bring to It's poor, de-
luded victims, for then 1 would have had
kind friends to weep and think kindly of
me, IS in solemn silence they gazed into
my tomb; but now my earnest prayer to
God is. that no one WHO ever knew me
may evershear anything about me. May
God in His mercy grant that no more in
nocer.. people may suffer on my account.
"0h, yodns man, ty al you hold deaf,
shun the cup, the fatal cup-if not for your
own sake, in Gods name, shun it for the
sake Of those you hold 20 near and dear.
'Xeu NAY think sca. ste atle 70 tAke a
atii.k siid leave 1t alone when you wish !;
let me entreat you, don't try the expert
ment, for when it gets hold it rarely ever
let's 90. II not only destroys you, but
friends must suffer also. 1t may bring q
kind and. loving. mother. to-, An early
Efave; make an DID mai Of kind; good
father before HI. time-not, to mention
brothers and sisters, Who rf}tist share the
sorrow These TIL igs are OF daily occur
fence; and this Is /, It the worst, fot it has
melted the mother to murder her innocent
babe, the husband to imbrue his hands in
sss@s Willingly iaId dSAh His SaAA. lie.
Pause think well before you touch the
cup! Remember, you not only venture
your own prospects and happiness, but all.
you hold sacred is involved. Don't say, l
can take q. drink and leave off the
chances are sgainet yuu ard even II they
are not, is it right? is it honorable 10 risk
the happiness of others to crafty your
own evil appetite? Would to God THAT
one year ago. 1 could have seen strong
drink as it really is, stripped of all the or
naments thrown over it by those engaged
In the tfaflc; could have seen 1t as a swift.
and sure road that Was to lead to my PIES
ept unhappy condition in a. felon's, cell,
With tile prospect Of shameful death: Is
1t surprising that 1 would try to save
others from the same fate? know that l
have neither the talent nor the education
to plead the cause of temperance, but l
can tell what the use of intoxicating
drinks has brought rie to- Can do less,
under the circumstances, than give word
of advice to some thoughtless ones? Pray
ing (if so great sinner as l may pray)
that God may bless it, and make its truth
fulness do what hearing could not, be the
means of saving some from drunkard's
end.
"For one short moment let your fancy
carry you to this cell. You will see me
write this with my hands ironed; irons are
on my limbs and / am chained to the
floor. Do you ask what brought me here?
must say, whisky. Is it strange in me
to lift warning voice against that which
has done me so much harms Thank God,
l have not lost all feeling. There are those
on the earth, separated from me by the
great waters who believe and trust (that
wherever | any l am honest and respected
God forbid that they should ever be unde-
ceived Oh /! is it not hard to pray to God
that your dear father and mother brothers
and sisters, your early playmates and
friends may never hear about you, or you
from them, when one word would be more
precious than untold treasure.
"a kind word from stranger is trea
sured up as something precious; as God
knows it is to me. TO keep you ffoni stich
condition write this, hoping you will
take it in the spirit in which it is given. /
write it earnestly and sincerely, trusting
that God may bless it to your use. If you
are ever tempted to drink, think of this
advice, and the circumstances under which
it is given, and may heaven help you to
cast the cursed cup from you. Don't par
ley, or you are lost. Say mol Stick 10 It.
Once or twice will be enough. Tempters
will see that you are firm, and respect you
the more for it. Don't be alarmed at being
called teetotaller. You may be greeted
with a laugh or jeer. No matter, you
win respect. How often have l wished
could say no, and stick to it, when asked
to drink, but my guess not or think
not was always taken for yes, or, if |
said no, it was known that did not al
ways stick to it. A companion who work
ed by my side was never asked but once, |
for his mo- meant mol Try the power of |
al emphatic no, when asked to do wrong, |
IS the advice of one who has lost all for |
the want of little firmness at first. If |
only could tell you all 1 have lost-lost |
friends, character, home, all that makes |
life dear, through drink, by not saying |
{ no, when asked to do wrong. l could |
have said it. God gave me understand
ing. / knew right from wrong, but l fiat
tered myself could go so far, gnd then
rein up; now l am lost. God in His
mercy grant that this may keep some |
young man from treading the same path.
Taste not, touch not, handle not is the
only safe course. Don't believe in moder-
ate drinking, there is too much danger in
it There is no drunkard living but
he could leave off when he wished.
As write this see fond mothers face,
I hear her last words to ME, low and sweet,
Be good boy, shun bad company, and
don't drink
81 see kind, good father, trying to
keep back the tears as he gave the same
advice, telling me at the same time to be
mindful of God and He would not forsake
me- Alas! all was forgotten, and the re-
suit is felon's cell, and soon, perhaps, a
death Is it any wonder should
try and warn others? Say you, that
many drink and do not do what have
doney All true; but none do as did
but what drink, not one. You say a man
can take drink and not be drunkard
for Gods sake don't try it-that is what
ruined me. All say at first: Whisky
shall not be my master am too much of
4 man for that God help them; how
soon they find out that he who said:
Wine is mocker, strong drink is raging,
and that he that is deceived thereby is not
wise,' knew more about it than they. Let
\ man write all his lifetime and he can
utter no greater truths; it mOcks all our
hopes, blunts all the sensibilities and kind
feelings that God has given US, and sinks
rs lower than the beasts that perish:
whereas God made us in His own image.
Is it not a mockers 1t has ever done
harm. The first recorded instance is that
Of Noah, the only man God saw fit to
save with his family, when he destroyed
he world. How sadly was he Knocked by
t, cursing his own son. There has always
been q curse with it; the Bible is full of
against it. For Gods sake, heed
hem, and if sinners entice thee, consent
hou not Would to God / could put on
his paper what feel. l think some one
would pause before taking that which
'teals away the senses. But my thoughts
wander not where / want them; not to
g \ L. nd Il hut