Retta Dixon's speech, Jimmy Governor - Chief of Sinners, is published on this blog with the permission of the copyright holder, the Long family. Not to be republished elsewhere without the permission of the Long family.
... It was over. I looked at my watch and it was five minutes past nine.
I went to the gaol to have of what I felt certain confirmed by Canon Rich. He had warned me not to buy a newspaper on the way, and not to listen to anyone until I saw him. As Chaplain he was with the prisoner to the last. He told me Jimmy had the same calm assurance through the night and right up to the execution. As they adjusted the rope all saw his lips moving in prayer and when I asked the Chaplain did he think it was "Lord, Jesus, receive my spirit!" he replied, "Ah, that was it, I am sure."
The gaol authorities as well as Canon Rich expressed themselves as perfectly satisfied.
Thus passed into the King's presence the once notorious Jimmy Governor, perpetrator of 100 crimes besides the many sins of his life, clad in the righteousness of Christ who bought for every sinner by his own precious blood "a title to the mansions in the skies". He went in as the Chief of Sinners to join in the song of the Redeemed - his first hymn, for he had never sung one on earth (I repeated hymns to him, but could not sing in the condemned cell).
Until the glory dawns and the shadows flee away this experience in which He very especially let me be a worker together with Him will stimulate to greater service, because it gave me a greater knowledge of my wonderful Saviour in what He is able to do, as well as a little idea of His yearning over poor, lost sinners.
It also gave me a wonderful opening to the hearts of the Aborigines of Australia, and many, many of them, after hearing the story, have accepted Jimmy's Saviour and taken their stand with him as "the Chief of Sinners".
... It was over. I looked at my watch and it was five minutes past nine.
I went to the gaol to have of what I felt certain confirmed by Canon Rich. He had warned me not to buy a newspaper on the way, and not to listen to anyone until I saw him. As Chaplain he was with the prisoner to the last. He told me Jimmy had the same calm assurance through the night and right up to the execution. As they adjusted the rope all saw his lips moving in prayer and when I asked the Chaplain did he think it was "Lord, Jesus, receive my spirit!" he replied, "Ah, that was it, I am sure."
The gaol authorities as well as Canon Rich expressed themselves as perfectly satisfied.
Thus passed into the King's presence the once notorious Jimmy Governor, perpetrator of 100 crimes besides the many sins of his life, clad in the righteousness of Christ who bought for every sinner by his own precious blood "a title to the mansions in the skies". He went in as the Chief of Sinners to join in the song of the Redeemed - his first hymn, for he had never sung one on earth (I repeated hymns to him, but could not sing in the condemned cell).
Until the glory dawns and the shadows flee away this experience in which He very especially let me be a worker together with Him will stimulate to greater service, because it gave me a greater knowledge of my wonderful Saviour in what He is able to do, as well as a little idea of His yearning over poor, lost sinners.
It also gave me a wonderful opening to the hearts of the Aborigines of Australia, and many, many of them, after hearing the story, have accepted Jimmy's Saviour and taken their stand with him as "the Chief of Sinners".
