The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-08-07
CHAMBER OF DEATH.
Evangelist Pierce Advises Young Men
To Keep Out OF 1t.

The young man behind prison bars, -
was the subject of an address delivered
in Coral street church by Evangelist >.
W. Pierce, yesterday afternoon.
The meeting was for men and boys
only, given in the nature of warning
to young men especially who are start
ing out in life and who will determine
In the first few years what their career
will amount to.
Mr. Pierce explained that he did not
mean the general definition of the sub
Ject when a striped suit was mentioned,
but rather the unseen suit not visible
to man, but visible in the sight of God.
The speaker read the seventh chapter
of Proverbs, as illustrative of the point
he wished to bring out laying special
stress on the last verse: Her house is
the way to hell going down to the
chamber of DEATH
The women referred to-" said he,
are such women as I have seen even
on the streets of Worcester; the poor,
miserable outcasts reckoning the youth
to follow her to the chamber of death .
Mr.. Pierce told story as illustrative
Of his point, which was told him years
ago by an old man sentenced to impris-
onment for life in the state penitentiary
at Michigan City.
The speaker attended the Sunday
service held in the chapel of the great
prison, and at the end of his address
an old man bent nearly double with
age, his limbs swollen and horribly dis
torted by prison rheumatism, scarcely
able to stand without clutches, hobbled
to the platform and asked permission to
tell his story. 1t was the story Of his
life, and at the close he asked Mr..
fn fn11 - ~ - L
men of the country wherever he might
go.
Previous to his Incarceration, the pris-
oner was a young blacksmith, strong
OF limb and revealing In the conscious
ness of living good moral upright life.
On the day which marked the great
turning point in his life, the week
work was finished and he was on his
way to the little home where his wife
and child awaited him. He stopped in
the principal square of the town with
the purpose of purchasing food and
articles of wearing apparel for his
family
AS he stood in the market place he
was approached by woman who asked
him to go with her and drink The first
rays of the morning sun awakened him
to a knowledge of the shame which he
had brought upon himself and his fam
lly. lie naSlened nome ana in the DOOR
| way of his cottage was met by the
young wife, who made inquiry as to
why he had been away all night. The
fumes of liquor We're still in his brain
and the innocent words reused demon
within him, spirit which prompted
him to walk hastily past her into the
house, and as his wife knelt over the
trundle bed of their child, TO seize a
heavy iron from the table and bring ii
down with crushing force on her head.
The next hour found him occupying
a convict's cell, from which he was
finally led forth to confront the de-
mands Of Justice, which resulted in the
sentence for life at hard labor. For AZ
years his life had been spent within
the walls OF prison, but he wished his
story taken to the boys that they might
I be warned by his mis-spent life.
Mr.. Pierce gave three causes which
in his estimation cause the most harm
in the life of young men. Too much
| card playing; to much drinking; too
much following in the path of the sinful.
He appealed to young men to re-
member that as they SOW, so must they
reap, and besought them to lead cody,
moral and upright lives.