I SAW FOLSOM By LOUIS T. TALBOT, D.D.
R ECENTLY, while conducting a series of meetings at Sacra mento, California, a friend drove me to Folsom Prison, where at the invitation of the Warden, I had the opportunity of preaching the gospel to the prisoners. This prison is located on the Amer ican Eiver, about twenty-two miles from Sacramento, just below the spot where the great Folsom Dam is being erected. According to the count the day I was there, there are 2,754 men confined within those walls. They in clude all types and races. Some prison ers are in their early twenties and some are in their eighties. The day we arrived, some had been there but a few days, and others had been con-’ fined for over thirty years. Folsom is considered the maximum security prison for the State of Cali fornia. This does not mean that its inmates are any worse than the men of other prisons, but on an average they are older; few men have ever left its inner prison. As we approached the entrance gate and the great gray stone walls of the prison, we were met by an old friend and graduate of the Bible In stitute of Los Angeles of the Class of 1915—Chaplain John W. Dunlop. After registering us at the entrance gate, the Chaplain took us through two iron gates guarded by a machine- gun tower, and then on to the admin istration building. Here we were greeted by genial Warden Robert A. Heinze. Next we proceeded to the officers’ dining hall where we enjoyed a fine lunch with Chaplain Dunlop, Associate Warden L. E. Wilson and Mr. David Cantor, the librarian. After lunch we went through four more gun-guarded iron gates to the office where all visitors must report. In the main yard hundreds of men were walking about. We crossed this yard to the single chapel where all religious services are held. The in terior of this chapel is beautifully decorated with large murals of Bibli cal scenes upon the walls. A large picture of the Last Supper hangs behind the pulpit. In the Chaplain’s office we gathered for prayer with some of the Christian inmates. As we entered the chapel, a veteran of the occupation army of Germany was at the Hammond organ
playing the grand hymns of the church. This man is serving sentence for . armed robbery, but seemed to have found forgiveness, joy and peace in the Saviour who is the Theme of all Christian songs. After the meeting, I interviewed a number of these men. One lad had memorized 150 chapters of the New Testament, and when chapters were called at random, he recited them per fectly. His ambition is to memorize the entire New Testament. An ex-safe cracker who had spent many years in several prisons turned to Christ a little over a year ago. Because he had read my books on the Gospels and on Romans, he was in terested in meeting me. It was really something to hear this man pray! It was a great thrill to realize that he was now spending his time trying to crack hearts for the Lord Jesus. How wonderful is the transforming grace of God! Another prisoner has been in trou ble most of the seven years he has been at Folsom. Recently someone ran a knife through him! But he now has taken a definite stand for Christ and is finding peace and joy in prayer and reading God’s Word. This is a case where the gospel of God’s grace is reaching to the very depths of sin. I saw in Folsom multiplied evidence in living men that the gospel is in deed “ the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth.” As the service began, the men joined in the singing with a will, and later listened with close attention as I gave the gospel message. The choir, composed of men serving time for murder, robbery, burglary and other crimes, sang a beautiful number. A colored lad, who had spent. many years in prison and had recently re turned with a life sentence, sang a splendid tenor solo. Later I heard the Chapel Trumpet Trio render beautiful numbers. I spoke on that wonderful text, First Timothy 1:15: “ This is a faith ful saying, and worthy of all accepta tion, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.” The men listened eagerly. At the close of the service, a call was given for the men who had recently (Continued on Page U%) Page Seventeen
A wife carries her leper husband to the dispensary. Both are Christians. dren. Here he was day after day in tently listening to every word. His one wife has now accepted the Lord. Another interesting chief was Stanley, whose father Doidoi had been a baby when H. M. Stanley, the explorer, was at Bogoro years before. The following was overheard as Africans prayed: “We are like people who work with iron. We have come together to sharpen our arrows and our spears and our knives so that we can go back and work better than before.” “ As even a tiny bird without any hands will persevere with its little bill to make itself a house, help us, too, to persevere until we know all Thy Word.” In thanking God for the Bible: “ Thy Word is like a lake. A big ele phant cannot touch the bottom with its feet, yet even a tiny lamb can sat isfy its needs.” “ Help us not to be like the python when it gorges itself and then cannot move for a long time. Help us to pass on to others the good things we are hearing.” Very early Monday morning, the day the conference was over and the delegates were setting forth on their way home, a lion was heard roaring after its prey. This reminded us to pray anew for the African church in conflict with.the one who is said to be as a lion seeking whom he may devour, and in this we would earnestly ask our readers to join, not once or twice, but continually. A P R I L , 1 9 5 1
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