Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1899-07-17
TALKS TOPR|SONERS.
Stanley M. Forrest, the Evan.
gelist, Makes an Address
at the County Jail.
HIS HEARERS ARE IMPRESSED.
Offers Himself, One Who Has Been
Through 1t All, as an Example, Telling
How, While Serving in the Peniten-
tisry, News OF the Death of His Mother
Changed His Future Career.

tlary, News of the Death of His Mother
Changed His Future Career.
Stanley NJ Forrest, a reformed trans
gressor who has served years behind
the prison bars, addressed the prison
ers at the Rock Island county Jail
yesterday afternoon under the auspi-
ces of the Memorial Christian church,
whose Sunday it was to hold services.
A choir composed of d. l.. Hartman,
w. III. Dixon, w. Karr, Miss Mary
Yeager and Miss Jessie Boguen, who
rendered Jesus is Calling. " Throw
Out the Life Line" and Whittier Than
Snow" At the request of a prisoner
''Mercy is Boundless and Free was
sung. Mr.. Forrest has strong ora
torical powers and as he stood before
the row of 16 prisoners the latter
were attentive listeners and babe him
an affectionate goodby when he had
concluded the service. In his sermon
Mr.. Forrest chose the parable of the
prodigal son.
Il am glad to know that l have
been permitted to come before you
today and say a few encouraging
words toward the WAYS of righteous
ness and leading an honest life.
I'VE don't come here thinking that
we are better looking than You are, or
to show the clothes we are wearing
We come here because we are inter-
ested in you all. my boys. l came
the other day and 1 saw you all, and
it called to my memory the scenes of
my past life.
II want you all to look me in the
eyes, for as a great writer once said,
the eyes are the windows to ones
soul, and if there is n man with an
ugly mind, let him look me in the
eyes and listen to what l say and
those thoughts will disappear.
Over in France, where l just re-
Gently left, about this time in the
year the great barley fields are being |
CLEANED and the golden sheaves are |
being loaded into the wagons and |
hauled to the city markets, where the |
great bells are tolled. The poor people |
know the meaning and flock to the |
market and each one is given an equal |
share. This is the way the govern |
ment has of providing for its poor. |
Boys, / have been cleaning for you |
from chapter xvii, St. Luke, and | |
wonder if you can't CLEAN with me |
today and occupy your minds with |
what l say.
All ProdigaIs.
I'm the old Columbu Jail / remem-
Der n minister came regularly every |
Sunday to read and preach from chap
ter XVII in the bible. / used to get so
tired of hearing those same words,
because l thought he applied them
to me, and / often wished
L could give him a good punch. A
man who sat next to me asked me
what was the matter one day, as l was
shuffiipg around. l told him, and ne
said he thought the preacher meant
him. That is the way things exist.
We are all prodigals. This Jail build
ing does not contain all the people in
this town that it should. 1t is not
you, my boys, that are the worst
people that are living today. The
Jaw does bend and you must bend ac-
If | was told II years ago
hat some day L would stand before |
you and preach words of advice and
offering myself as an example l would
nave said it was foolish position for
1t that time all the world seemed to
70 against me and my best friends had ,
.urned to enemies, and my future ex-
stence seemed nothing but trouble
md woe. but when you learn to con-
ide in God you have friend that is
always willing to hear you.
If n good son of a great English
obleman came to Rock Island attired p.
n the height of fashion. stopped at :
he best hotel and won the affections
# all the young ladies in the city, he
would be held in the highest esteem
" all. Surprising he was proven
n impostor and found to be {
he son of blacksmith, he would be
brown in the deepest disgrace and
,e cheating himself of the grace of
iod, that which is dear to all living
Features and the foundation of a
apPy life.
First Lesson of Crime.
Boys. from the street corners
ONES the first lesson of criminal =
lfe; from the street corner to the sa-
on, then to the gambling rooms. /
bought Just few years ago in the
Id prison of Columb bus that there
Tas no way of earning an hon !.
st living One day / found a letter
Or me on my bed. 1 opened it and
0und it was from home telling me
ly mother had died and her last
lords were that she would pray for
lie and that / would meet her in
eaven, as she knew / would die a I
hristian. God bless her. That let
n, boys, caused tears to run freely
nd knelt down on the stone floor
nd spent the entire night in prayer.
he jailer and fellow prisoners all +
sked what was the matter with old
~ and told them.
Il prayed hard to the Almighty 8.
cd to help me to reform and lead a =
fe as my mother in her dying words r.
ad prayed i remember from that
light on my life has been changed
ne. l remember % years ago / did
,mething wrong. My mother called e