The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1890-02-06
CAPTAIN WILLIAMS LECTURE
Stirring Appeal by the Eminent
Temperance Advocate. Il;

| were citizens who had come TO hear the eloquent
| temperance orator, Captain w. H. Whelan. The
| services we're presided over by Chaplain Albert,
Capt. Whelan occupying the time of the sermon
for his lecture. Mr.. Whelan has singularly at
tractve way of holding the attention of his audi
| ence. Every sentence spoken was freighted with
thought and forcbly impressed upon the
hearers: We give below a report of his lecture,
but the cold type cannot carry the forcible deliv
cry of the speaker:
have been much moved this morning-more so
| than usual. ask you to follow me carefully, and
remember that the man who is talking to you has
sounded the depths and shoals of suffering, and
knows every move on the board of life as we'll as
you do. am talking to you from my heart up. 1
started one morning from the Office of the San
Francisco Chronicle to go to San Quentin for the
purpose of investigating and making report of
| case for my paper. You all know what San Quen-
tin is-a counterpart of this institution The San
Quentin valley is of the most beautiful spots
upon earth. No grander sight met my eye
| than on that Sunday morning steamed up
the bay. Everything bright everything was
in strong contrast with what "de gang told you
you would get steamng up the bay. The valley
and shores of the bay that led to the prison
redolent with health wing atmosphere. and the
ringing SOunu OF the SaDOatn DellS cOulu De nearQ
calling the sinners to the house of God. This
before you had got into scrape-before all man
illness had been sunk for "de gang
But how different it is when YOU get into prison!
When you go into your cells look back your
past life spend some time in introspectiOn and
see if you call up one of de gang or of your
loose friends that will come in here now and pour
out his heart in for you. No. none of these
| hnft no wifi hon, no
forsaken for ''de gang" will always remember you.
While my mind was still full of the beauties l
had just witnessed came to the great door of the
| prison and after considerable parley with the
guard in charge admitted. AS entered the
prison musical voice streaming through the tiers
of cells sang the words:
| 1.-THE mistakes of my life have been many,
| The sins of my heart have been more"
Upon looking up at the door from whence came
the singing saw the number 49, oh he could
sing sweetly! and he sang with his soul. Man
| had fettered his body, but God unfettered his
soul. 1t can be just with every man here. No
law, stone W alls warden guard can hold the
soul. When met the Warden. inquired, WAR
den who is that man singng?' He replied "Oh.
| that is No. SO. Don't you know him?" When l
heard his name did know him. 1 had reported
| his case in court
| would ask you again my friends. to follow me,
that you may for your own peace of mind learn to
| suffer manfully and in Christian spirit your pun
| ishment here. The father of the man speak of
was wealthy and also of that class who
carry DEVILS heart under Christians coat. He
was hypocrtical and unprincipled When the
time came for this young man to go out into the
world his father gave him everything he called
| for and let him do about as he pleased. The boy
led the life Of the typical fast young man. he al
lowed his passions full sway and the result was
| that he landed in PRISON.
| When in court to receive his sentence the judge
gave him the usual permission to speak for him
| self before being sentenced. Now this boy was
| bully, and never knew a bully that not
| coward. The bully is considered bad man. but
| in room with courageous man he is generally
as mild can be. 1 have never known a bully
that was worth the salt of his egg. 1 can feel for
| a constitutional coward. because he was born one;
but the professional coward is the meanest man
on Gods earth This boy stood up and cried and
| blubbered, making puerle excuses for the crime
| he committed. can always sympathize with
man who is moved to tears at the sight of sorrow
| or suffering; but when one sheds those great big
| crocodile tears-every one coming from the sole
| of his boot-then 1 am disguised with him. This
young mans plausible excuse ana Dig tears were
but the sign manual of the lack Of manhood; and
we reporters who we're present in court eyed each
| other and said, "Rats!" knew he had led many
| others astray; knew that in his fast he
had robbed many home of its brightest jewell
and also know that in my just Indignation at the
unmanly excuses he made for his crime that 1
prayed he would get one hundred years but will
| say that did not mean it. When the boys father
arose and made a still more unmanly plea for the
son, the reporters said, 'Chestnuts!'' for they
knew it was nothing more than the invention of a
hypocritical heart.
When once entangled in the meshes Of hypoc-
risy it is next to impossible to dodge out of it,