Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1870-02-22
A State Prisoners Confession in the
Fulton st. Prayer Meeting.

had the unmistakable hand writing of the
penitentiary in mis- face. He had q dark
complexion, black hair, and keen, black
eyes, and was above the average height
lie was, on the whole, man of good APP
pearance, and apparently of good educa-
ton, but bore the marks of hard life. He
began by saying
Zone week ago today wa. pardoned out
of the State Prison of Illinois by the Gov
ernor of the State. ! had been imprisoned
for crime committed in the State, in Chi
cago and its neighborhood. | lost my father
years ago, and have living noble, pious
mother. Ny father left handsome prop
erty to each of his children, and each had
their portion. All have preserved their
property and character but myself But
my character and property were lost long
ago. have led, since my fathers death,
a very wicked life. | have been drunk
ard, thief, a gambler, robber, and have
thankful that no blood stains are on my
hands. / have been vile in every ones
sight, and guilty wretch in my own. l
/ bless God was ever thrown into the State
Prison of Illinois, where came under the
| influence of good chaplain, and good Off
GERS, and some good men. Among the
1900 convicts in the prison, there are 200
pious men, who hold prayer meetings every
day, just like this Fulton street meeting.
We go to it upon our honor, with no guard
over us, and we spend a short season in
prayer and exhortation. 1t is this meeting
right over again, within the walls of a
prison. We have religious papers which
tell us about this meeting.
'Let me tell you how was converted.
One day, pious prisoner scratched into a
pine board, fastened right in front of me
this short sentence, which l must see while
at my work
CAN YOU AFFORD TO LOSE YOUR SOUL?
1t annoyed me greatly. All day long those
words stared me in the face. They were
always before me. tried to rub them out
with my hand. But the more rubbed the
palmer they were. They struck deep int
my heart. | knew | could not afford t
lose my soul. | had knowledge of relig
ious truth. | knew what was involved il
the loss ofmy soul. The words went HON,
and they made me very miserable. Thu
young man who wrote them, seeing wa
in trouble, came to me and said, You ar
: in trouble; may pray for YOU?
; YES answered. anything that will d
! me any good"
| eve prayed together, and others praye
for me. The Prisoners Prayer Meetin
- prayed for me, and became, as | hope,
= converted man. Oh! have great peac
r and JOY in believing in Jesus. | have goo
\ testimonials from the chaplain and the wal
den of the prison as to my good character
/ and it was on their recommendation that
|. was pardoned out.
+, "TAe first thing that l did when | e
Il out was to lie down fiat on my face and ki.
- the free earth that was now permitted I
tread. and to lift up most earnest pray,
c to God that might not dishonor Him, ne
If disgrace my christian profession, nor 10,
/. my faith in Jesus; for all my trust is
2. him. can trust no one else.
If "When | had experienced the gre;
l. change, | wrote to my mother-my god
10 mother-and told her all about it. Al
10 such letter as she wrote ME back VIII
it it was such as none but mother cou
y write She told me there was not floor
l. the house which she had not watered wit
lie her tears, and not room in the house
Il which she had not prayed for her waywa
2! and lost son. She always believed won
G. be saved.
E. 81 am more indebted to my mother tn;
l. to any other, for what hope am, out
We all the agencies which God has been pleas
We to employ for my conversion. never Il
all the conscience which she had instructt
and often felt that she was praying for n
and | ought not to disappoint the desii
Ter of such good mother.
tie. Please pray for the 200 pious prisone
be that Jesus may keep them steadfast in tn
re- confession of faith in Christ. Pray for c
he Prayer Meeting-modeled after this. Pr
bic for all the prisoners. Do you pray for
Try prisoners and captives? Who need yC
,it. prayers more than they. When got aw
it told them that was coming to the F
lat ton Street Prayer Meeting the first da,
be got into New York. They said, ASK Il
yer meeting to pray for us So am here
to do their bidding, and to answer the d
ny tates of my own heart. They are hunt
of pious men. Christ in them is in prise
ng and he who has said, 4 was in prison a
yht we came unto me- will also say unto y
ing 'lnasmuch as yedid itunto the least of the
md my brethren, we did it unto Me-"
lss- His manner ofspeaking was very earn
But and the sympathies of the meeting W
rec deeply moved. He informed your repol
the that he was to take up his residence fc
in while in reformatory institution in I
ngs city-all arrangements being made bel
to he left the prison, through the instrum
the tally of some clergymen in the mana
lom ment of it here.-Nelc York Observer.