“From Charles Peace.
“H.M. Prison, Leeds, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 1879.
“My dear Son,
“I now write to you my last dying wishes and request, that you will take a warning by poor me, and live happy and comfortable with your dear mother. I have handed this to my chaplain when upon the scaffold, and a moment before I die. Oh, let me beg of you in my last moments to give yourself to God, to try and walk in the narrow path that leadeth to eternal life. And may the Great God in His mercy pardon all your sins. And may we all meet in the end at the Right Hand in Glory. I have sincerely prayed to the Great and all powerful God to forgive me all my sins as I freely forgive all who may have sinned against me that those few lines may have their desired effect upon you and that we may all meet in Heaven is the Dying Prayer of your dying father.
“My Dear boy do do all that is wright in the sight of God and man and do not forgate that we have fixed upon our meeting place to be Heaven so I must say good bye good bye and may God bless thee My boy.
“Good bye good bye I am gone.”
To his son he also sent a photograph of a painting representing our Saviour as the Good Shepherd. He has a crown of thorns on his head; no shoes on his feet; in His right hand He has the shepherd’s crook, and on His left shoulder He carries a lamb, with which He is returning from the wilderness to the fold. Underneath, written in capitals, is the following:—“The Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” On the back of the card Peace wrote:—
“My Dear Child this was sent from London from a Lady at a Prayer meeting where Prayers was offered up for me at Eaton-square, London, for to bring before thy poor father’s face his Saviour finding him a lost sinner and to bring him to his fold and I also hope my son that he will bring thee to his fold.
“For William Peace good bye my Dear son for I am gone there.”
LETTERS TO HIS SON-IN-LAW.
The latter part of the following letter only is in the handwriting of the convict:—