The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-05-12

REPORTEH-WOuIO
Catholics to attend massY
bates and discussions among the inmates
REPoRrER-DO you not believe in the right OF
every man to worship God without restraint, &C
DIR. PIERcE-Certainly; and as an }ndiy}ausl
would be most happy to have Gle. esmen Of other
denominations come here and preach In their own
oas I eeS1e y .n rules Of the institution
The rsysTend gentleman then kindly pointed ont
70 nls vsss0r the building In which is the room OF
p under the control OF the Commissioners OF Char-
ties and Correction. This priest Rev. Father
inmates Of the House OF Refuge He is the chap,
lain on the upper part Of the island. He was not
70 De found II his room, SO the reporter walked
was sitting in the midst OF u group OF some two
hundred little boys on the common,
ea0nsS aserHe cges him. sss
The father was distributing little pictures Of the
cruched Christ and of various saints to the chill
dren, and was entering their names in little book.
The supper bell had tOlled, but the little ones
seemed needless OF 1t, and continued to thrOng
about the priest, rubbing his coat and shaking his
hands. When the reporter introduced himself
Father Renaud arose, and on being asked about the
restrictions against the exercise OF his functions
hesitated for some time, and then replied -"As an
individual have always been received in most
gentemanly manner by all the officers OF the House
OF Refuge; but as Catholic priest my ministry was
confined to the sick.
REpoRrER-I understand sir, that you are not
sacramento to the healthy inmates?
Father RENAUD-Far from It, was not allowed
to give the boys printed slips OF paper from which
they could learn their prayers.
REpoRTER-Are you often called upon to attend
to patients
Father RENAup-No. From November, 1871, to
the present have not had single call in the girls
department and only nineteen in the boys. Two
of them sick that they might have died
Glanced to go there and attended them. AS to the
healthy Catholic inmates-deprived Of Catholic edu,
aaft no az in
their faith-I asked the superintendent to allow me
to give them Catholic books and papers, and he
thought proper to refuse me. was requested by
mother to see her boy but was denied admission
to him.
REPORrER-I am told that the institution is unsec-
tartan. Do you think that the Catholic children are
injured in any way by this so-called unsectarian
service
any Catholic service. On the contrary, they are
marched every Sunday to the Protestant church
and the Protestant Sunday school. The books and
papers placed the disposal Of the young inmates
are Protestant. With all this the institution pre-
tends to be unsectarian.
and practicable that would insure equal religious
rights to all?
soners OF Charities and Correction namely that
the Protestant minister would not interfere with
the Catholic children, nor the Catholic priest with
the Protestant children, and that equal facilities
should be given to each denomination to hold its
own service.
REp0RTER-But would not this plan give rise to
debates and discussions the part OF the nmatesY
Father RENAUD-Most assuredly no. 1t has never
given rise any this side OF the island and am
sure 1t wouldn't in the House of Refuge. But sup
posing 1t would give rise to such Debates Is that
any reason why the right OF every individual to
worship God as he deems best should be taken away
The reporter thanked Father Renaud for this in
formation and took his departure from the island
The three boys now confined in the Tombstone for
the alleged murder OF Warden Calvert, another for
stabbng Sprole principal Of the school OF the House
Of Refuge, and another for striking warden named
Maleady-were then interviewed. The names
Sfe nsee anns Michael in a ans SsGs
Each corroborated the statement OF the
other In reply to the Of the HERALD
Catholics, but we were never allowed to see a
priest. we are treated in a brutal manner by the
keepers. For talking in the shop you win be sent
to Mr.. Jones; he Immediately seizes big club that
he has in his Office and beats you numerically with
it, When first went to the Island, stood on the
stairway on Sunday morning. and would not go in
to the Protestant worship; soon the keeper rushed
at me with club and beat me until went in II
boy refuses to sing the Protestant hymn he Is
considered guilty Of an awful crime have seen
Catholic boys who would not sing the hymn the
to take, Off their clothes and lie across q
stool. Then with three straps fastened on stick
dreaded to take their clothes off they would be
| stripped forcbly and beaten with a club. The
keeper saps you on the ear for the slightest thing
give you kick and put you on the line. Tw0-thirds
OF ALI She boys there are Catholics and would love
priest lest they might get nogged. If you only
| knew half of it! Edwards here (pointing to Ed
put on bread and water. Now he has got the con-
sumption. lie has been splitting blood ever SINCE"
| At this juncture Edwards arose crying, and
said ~ once jumped into the river to escape
from the House with two other boys. The
keepers ran towards us and began to throw in big
rocks at us. One OF the boys was struck and came
nigh being drowned. l swan back afraid might
be killed.'
The boys may have exaggerated them, but the
stories do not look like inventions. Ryan was
asked IL he could make affidavit to those state
ments and he answered in the affirmative
The reporter then laid some of these particulars
before few prominent Catholic gentlemen OF New
York, whose names it is needless to mention here
and they seemed to have been in utter ignorance Of
the real state of affairs in the House of
Refuge Nothing to ooud tho be fne
manner in which the religious liberties of the
inmates are tramped upon. Many and varied are
managers of the institution vainly seek to justify
their arbitrary conduct But supposing that the
inmates slaves, and the Nineteenth century
were not yet upon us, would the most absolute
master have right under constitution to force
upon his enthralled wretches system of religious
belief and worship which they would believe INSULT
OBNOXIOUS AND INJURIOUS
No prison keeper throughout the broad extent OF
our country has or dares to exercise the right Of
| debating to his prisoners the form of religious
| ceremonial to which they must conform under pain
| of punishment 1t seems to be an accepted
| opinion with the authorities Of the House
OF Refuge that the introduction Of Catholic worship
Tor the dement, Oh CatnOHC inmates WOulu
the discipline and welfare Of the institution. The
! association for the reformation OF juvenile deln
| quents numbers in its ranks many phlanthropists,
| men OF emnence and culture, and 1t can well be
| doubted If these gentlemen are really conversant
| with the unequal workings of the institution. An
! nua reports are laid before them, and these re-
| ports abound in such
| LUxURIANT DESCRIPTIONS
the House OF Refuge that judging from them Alone
| one would almost wish himself young again that he
| might have opportunity Of becoming an inmate
| of the House OF Refuge. In them we see nothing
of the loggngs for not assisting at Protestant
| ship. In an admirable work recently written by
| Chaplain Pierce, he says :-"Boys can only be re-
| formed by that sanctifed power with which God
| endows His chosen instruments-that awakens the
| inward being that enthrones conscience above the
/ passions and sufuses the whole nature with the
love OF its Saviour" Look this picture OF refor
| nation, and then on the one above for certainly
| 1t Is not the straps and the clubs that Dr. Pierce
| audes to as "the power that awakens the inward
| being,r &c. The State OF