“Yes,” said Mr. Littlewood, “you may.”
“I want you, sir, to preach a special sermon over my case, but I do not want it to be preached till after my execution. I want you to hold me up to the people of Darnall and to the world—to hold me and my career up as a beacon, that all who see may avoid my example. I want all who have known me to have me stated exactly as I am, that in the end my death may not be altogether without service to society.
“You know, sir, that the public of Darnall have nothing to say against me. They will certify to this fact—that I was respected by them. And they had no reason to think otherwise. I never did any of them any harm all the time I was there.”
Mr. Littlewood told him that he could not quite see his way to preach a special sermon about his case, particularly as he had already expressed the wish that after he was executed his name should never be mentioned, but Peace held to this point. Eventually, however, Mr. Littlewood was enabled to pass on to some other subject.
“Now, sir,” continued Peace, “I think I have told you all I have to say, and I want before you go that you should do me another thing. I should like you to hear me pray.”
Mr. Littlewood assented, and Peace, turning to the warders, desired them to help him out of his chair that he might kneel down by his bedside. He also commanded them to kneel down. Mr. Littlewood also knelt close to the grating.
The convict then commenced a long and earnest prayer of nearly twenty minutes’ duration. He prayed with great fervency and fluency. First of all he prayed for himself, and asked God for Christ’s sake to blot out all his trangressions, and implored that his sins might be washed away in the blood of Jesus, and invoked the Holy Spirit to cleanse and purify his heart.
He referred to each member of his family, and prayed for them with equal earnestness.
From thence he went on to pray for those whom he had wronged, and interjected there a special prayer for Mr. Littlewood and his family, whom he hoped God would greatly bless and prosper.
He then prayed for society generally, all classes of the community, and one special part of his prayer powerfully impressed his hearers.