Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1876-03-11

his SKeGcl OF MS conversion Is simple
but picturesque. With hands tightly
clasped, and eyes closed, he fell upon
his knees on the hard stone floor of his
cell, and seemed rooted to those cold
stones. He determined to remain thus
all night, imploring forgiveness, till he
was called to his work in the morning.
The sweat rolled off his face, and his
agony was intense. In time his cell
seemed filed with heavenly light and
soft fragrance; he thrilled with exulta-
ton as he beheld the uplifted cross, and
he felt hand laid upon his head by
one who said: "My son, thy sins are
forgiven" As he clapped his handsand
shouted with JOY, one of the guards
came along the corridor, and, after de-
manding to be told what was the matter,
took out paper, wrote down the mum.
Der of the cell, and threatened to report
him in the morning for misconduct.
But Jerry did not care for that, and the
guard must have been negligent, for
Jerry escaped without punishment.
From that time, life was all rev to him.
Work was nothing; hard fare nothing;
scowls and harsh words nothing. He
was happy.
When he got the chance, he began to
tell his fellow convicts. He told his
friend Jack Dare, who had been the
leader of a revolt in prison. Jack
sneered at him, repulsed him, spat at
him, lifted his hand to strike him, and
told him he was playing bold game to
get out. But Jack also was soon coll
verted, and even the keeper was glad
that such a desperate character had got
religion, and would give no more trou-
bic, For two years things went on
thus. Ali that time Jerry's cell in Sing
Sing seemed to him like heaven, and he
did not care whether he ever got out,
till one day he found himself praying to
get out, and the prayer was soon an
swered by his receiving pardon from
the governor, after having been incar-
cerated seven years and six months, or
about half the period of his sentence.
On reaching New York city he felt
lonely and forlorn. He could not go
back to his old haunts or companions,
and he knew no others. But in his soil
tude he took glass of lager beer, upon
which his old appetite was awakened
his head got confused his downfall was
begun, and from that time he plunged
into liquor, and drank it daily. The
devil got the upper hand he forsook
religion and he was wretched man as
he again entered on career which he is
unwilling to describe. 1t was war time,
and he went into the bounty business,
picked up men wherever he could find
them, made them half drunk, and coaxcd
them to enlist. He thus made great
deal of money, but became sporting
man and spent it. He went back to his
river life, bought stolen goods from the
sailors, and cheated them in all sorts of
ways. When he got troubled in mind
he took to whisky, and drowned his
conscience in the flowing bowl. He not
only bought stolen goods, but paid for
them in counterfeit money, and grew
into far worse river thief than he had
ever been before he went to prison. He
got into all sorts of danger. Once, when
very drunk on q plundering expedition,
he fell out of his boat into the river, and
was all but drowned. Once the captain
of vessel which he was robbing fred
at him four times with his revolver, and
the bullets whizzed past his head, but
did not hit it.
And thus Jerry went on, making
money easily, spending it foolishly, and
consuming whisky all the time. At
last, when he had become o frightful
looking object, and was living in hard
old den, he met with a good old man,
who induced him to sign the pledge, and
urged him to live honestly. After
signing the pledge he went out and took
a glaSa of gin, but Immediately after
ward met the good man, and "told him
l was going out on the river that night,
for wo were dead broke, was hungry,
and money we must have" The good
man was very poor, but gave him fifty
cents, which kept him from the river.
Once more Jerry was converted. Once
again he experienced the religious joys
he had found in prison. But yet, for
the second time, he fell, through the
temptations of liquor, and he got so low
that he cursed God, and made up his
mind to kill himself by throwing him
self under the wheels of street car; but
the conductor prevented him from doing
so. A third time he turned to religion
and third time he fell from it. A
fourth time he turned to it, and fourth
time he fell. A fifth time he turned tc
it, and this time he held fast, and still
holds fast.
He got a job on the ferry, but was dis
charged because he would not work OF
Sunday. He then got a situation in the
custom house, but was turned out fol
} preaching too much. He next got an
other place, but, when he objected tc
profanity, he was spotted among the
workmen, and pointed out as one of the
hypocrites. Then he had vision, il
which he thought he had house, ant
people were coming in. "There was
bath, and as they came in washed ant
cleansed them outside, and the Lore
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