CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

BIOGRAPHY AND CALL TO THE WORK.

Birth—Left an Orphan—Conversion—Marriage—Sorrow—Sanctification—Call to Prison Work—Family Reunion—Sketch of My Life by My Brother23

CHAPTER II.

LETTER TO MY PRISON CHILDREN.

My Limited Education—Disappointments—A Friend in Jesus38

CHAPTER III.

A PLEA FOR THE PRISONER.

In the Shadow of the Wall (poem)—Letters to Prison Officers—Worth While (poem)—Prejudice—A Look into the Cell—Insane Prisoners—All Prisoners Not Criminal—Prepared to Die43

CHAPTER IV.

A BRIEF PEN PICTURE OF PRISON LIFE.

The Buildings—Entrance—Chapel and Dining-room—Chapel Service—The Cell-house—Workshops—Hospital59

CHAPTER V.

LETTERS OF INTRODUCTION AND KIND WORDS FROM GOVERNORS, PRISON OFFICIALS, ETC.

From Governors—Prison Wardens—Chaplains67

CHAPTER VI.

SOME OF MY PRISON BOYS.

A Prisoner's Conversion as Shown by His Letters—A Talented Young Man—Under Death Sentence—Commuted—Finally Pardoned—Letters—Sentenced for Life—His Letters—Faithful Inside and Outside of Prison Walls87

CHAPTER VII.

LETTERS FROM CO-WORKERS AND MY PRISON GIRLS.

Letters from Sister Co-workers—From My Prison-bound Girls117

CHAPTER VIII.

INCIDENTS IN MY PRISON WORK.

Letter from the Prisoners at Chester, Ill.—Extract of Chaplain's Report—Suicide of a Prisoner—"I Have no Friends"—Letters from Chaplain Starr—A Way Opened in Answer to Prayer—A Letter from a Governor—A Woman Converted and Healed—A Change Wrought—A Chaplain in My Audience—Impressed to Tarry—Encouragement by the Way—Cruel Neglect—Another Suicide—Just Out of Prison—Dying in Prison—Does It Pay?—Saved and Preaching the Gospel—In Solitary Confinement—Crape on the Door—In a Police Station—Burned in His Cell—The Innocent in Bonds—Confessed Her Guilt—Under Sentence of Death—"The Religion Mother Had"135

CHAPTER IX.

CONVERSION OF DESPERATE PRISONERS PREVENTS A TERRIBLE MUTINY.

Welcomed in Prison—An After-Service—Plan of the Mutiny—Havoc of Sin—Letters161

CHAPTER X.

REMARKABLE CONVERSION AND EXPERIENCE OF GEO. H. COLGROVE.

His Own Story—Infidel Literature—Burglary and Murder—Life Sentence—Conversion—Study of the Scriptures—Bible Class Teacher—An Enemy Kindly Treated—A Pardon Refused—Second Effort to Secure a Pardon—Letters—Final Illness and Triumphant Death169

CHAPTER XI.

WORK IN STOCKADES AND PRISON CAMPS IN SOUTHERN STATES.

Race Question—Letters of Introduction and Recommendation—A Stockade—Letter to a Governor—Reply of Prison Manager—Plea for Women Convicts—Bloodhounds—Coal Mines—A Touching Incident—First Meeting in a Prison Camp—Ride on Engine of a Coal Train—First Railroad Pass—Ride on a Mule187

CHAPTER XII.

STOCKADES AND PRISON CAMPS CONTINUED.

Novel Conveyances—Assisting a Colored Minister—Through Danger Alone—Prostrate Among Prisoners—A Meeting at Day Dawn—Helping to Bury a Prisoner—Wreck of a Coal Train—Sugar Camps—Ride in a Cart—In a Gambling Saloon—Condition of Convicts—Unjustly Condemned—Need of Reform212

CHAPTER XIII.

WORK IN FT. MADISON, IOWA, AND SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO.

My First Effort for Service in a Prison—Kindness of Officers and Men—Letters from Officials—Work in Santa Fe, N. Mex.—Three Christian Men Pardoned—A Forty Years' Sentence—Kind Words from Governor and Superintendent241

CHAPTER XIV.

GONE HOME FROM THE SCAFFOLD.

Special Mission to Doomed Men—Indifferent but Finally Converted—Letters—Mother's Prayers—Claimed to Be Innocent—Hardened in Crime—Ten Men under Death Sentence—Conversion of a Jewish Boy—Mysteriously Guided—In Long Expectation—Sentence Commuted—A Man Deceived—Interceded for a Boy—Went to the Scaffold Singing—A Prominent Official—Recent Cases254

CHAPTER XV.

WORK IN CHURCHES AND MISSIONS.

Provided with Food in Answer to Prayer—A Great Revival—A Man Saved from Suicide—Letters from Pastors and Others—Church of the Redeemer in Baltimore—Successful Meetings—Young Man Called to the Ministry—A Colored Woman Saved and Preaching—Incidents—Saved by a Hymn294

CHAPTER XVI.

PREACHING THE GOSPEL ON RAILWAY TRAINS.

Accidental Death of My Nephew—My First Trip by Rail—Experience of a Railroad Man—Transportation—A Kind Conductor—Interesting Services—Train Saved from Wreck—A Train in Danger—Impressed to Leave the Train—Helped to Care for a Wounded Man—Conductor's "God Bless You"—A Woman's Faith Encouraged—Riding in a Parlor Car—Favor to the Railroad Company313

CHAPTER XVII.

STREET AND OPEN AIR.

Poem—Permits to Hold Street Meetings—From a Missionary—My First Street Meeting—A Wonderful Conversion—Became a Preacher—The Blind Encouraged—Forbidden to Preach on the Street—Thought They Saw a Ghost—Hurt by a Saloonkeeper—Warned to Leave the City—In Jail328

CHAPTER XVIII.

RESCUE WORK.

"A Mother's Plea" (poem)—A Plea for our Sisters—Drunken Women and Men—Assaulted in a Dive—Attempts Suicide—A Girl Saved—A Girl Rejected at a Rescue Home—Neglected by the Churches—Visits to Hospitals—Kind Tributes—The Prodigal Daughter (poem)349

CHAPTER XIX.

WORK IN CANADA AND MEXICO.

Street Meetings in Hamilton—In London, Ontario—A Girl Rescued—In Kingston—Stoned in Quebec—Victory in Toronto—In Victoria, B. C.—Work in Mexico—A Bull Fight—Wept with Condemned Men—Attacked by a Fierce Dog—Ministered to a Sufferer365

CHAPTER XX.

ACROSS THE SEA.

On the Ocean—In a Foreign Land—Preaching in Glasgow—My Life in Danger—A Song Stops a Row—Arrested for Singing—Tumult in a Dive—Mob of Drunken Women—Letter from America—In Paisley—Return to America—Second Visit to Europe—Experiences in London—Safe Return to America—Letter from Scotland372

CHAPTER XXI.

TRAVEL AND TOIL.

Two Nights' Service—One Weeks' Work—A Profitable Trip—Six Weeks' Service—Recent Work—Another Trip395

CHAPTER XXII.

LETTERS FROM PRISONERS.431

CHAPTER XXIII.

KIND WORDS FROM FRIENDS.

From H. L. Hastings—Mrs. H. L. Hastings—E. E. Byrum, Author and Editor—Mother of a Prisoner—Prisoner's Daughter—An Editor—Ex-Prisoner—Miscellaneous477

CHAPTER XXIV.

SKETCHES FROM PRESS REPORTS.491

CHAPTER XXV.

FURNISHED UNTO EVERY GOOD WORK.

"Who Will Man the Life Boat?" (poem)—Adaptation Needed—The Masses Not Reached—My Boy in India—Preaching the Gospel in the Pesthouse—How the Lord Provides—Miscellaneous Incidents530

CHAPTER XXVI.

SELECTIONS FROM MY SCRAPBOOK.

Author of Flower Mission Day—Flower Day at the Prison—Lines by a Prisoner—Take This Message to My Mother—Not Lonely Now—Jesus Is Looking On—How God Calls Missionaries Out of Prison Cells—Outside the Prison Walls—If We Knew—Little Graves—The Mother's Warning—Harry's Remorse—Twenty-Thirty-Four—His Mother's Song—Perfect Peace—Sweet Revenge—No Telephone in Heaven—A True Hero—Perfect Through Faith—The Kid—Charged with Murder—Mother's Face—Only Sixteen—The Dress Question547

SONGS.

1. "Life's Railway to Heaven." 2. "Meet Me There." 3. "God Bless My Boy." 4. "The Great Judgment Morning." 5. "My Name in Mother's Prayer." 6. "Over There." 7. "This Way." 8. "She's More to Be Pitied." 9. "Some Mother's Child." 10. "Tell My Dear Old Mother." 11. "When the Death-bell Shall Toll." 12. "The End of the Way."

APPENDIX.596

The Personnel of Prison Management. By Warden C. E. Haddox.

Meditations of a Prisoner.

Discourse on "The Agony in the Garden." By a Prisoner.

Directory of Prisons and Reformatories.

ILLUSTRATIONS

Frontispiece

Ohio State Prison27

Family Group34

John Ryder34

Giving the Boys Counsel42

With Insane Prisoners52

Prisoners Marching58

Prison Chapel and Dining Room60

Corridor in Cell House62

New Federal Prison at Ft. Leavenworth, Kan.66

The Old Tombs, New Tombs, New York80

Personal Work86

Administration Building, Mitchelville, Iowa115

Campus and Play-ground, Girls' Industrial School, Mitchelville, Ia.116

A Chaplain's Residence118

Women's Prison, Allegheny, Pa.121

Group of Girls in an Industrial School132

Southern Illinois State Prison at Chester134

Interior of Chapel, Dining Apartment, and Row of Cells, Chester, Ill.160

Geo. H. Colgrove169

Smelter and Work Shops, Chester, Ill.186

Woman Convict at Work in the Field195

Convicts Getting Out Coal198

Prison at Santa Fe, N. Mex.240

Church of the Redeemer, Baltimore, Md.303

A Railroad Engine312

Miss Josephine Cowgill329

Mother Prindle361

State Prison, Joliet, Ill.394

Prison at Deer Lodge, Mont.397

Criminal Insane Hospital, Chester, Ill.408

Prison at Huntsville, Tex.410

Group of Delegates at Prison Congress, 1904414

Industrial Reform School, Hutchinson, Kan.416

Industrial School, Whittier, Cal.418

Prisons at Jackson, Mich., Deer Lodge, Mont., and Folsom, Cal.430

A Ward in Prison Hospital445

Kitchen and Dining Room455

Drug Department in Prison Hospital475

Mother Wheaton490

Ruthena, India Famine Boy535

State Prison, Anamosa, Iowa546

—Tennyson.