Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-05-02
HOW THE GEGHAN Law WORKS
In CLEVELAND.

OleTelauQ heraiu.
On Sunday morning the mueh-talked
of change in the mode Of conducting
religious services at the Cleveland
wo-k-house, necessitated by the pass
age Of the Geghan bill, took place. The
Board Of Directors, composed of Hon.
Harvey Rice, J. H. Wade, @. H. Burt,
VIM. Edwards, and S. @. Brooks, had
discussed the subject Of sectarian Sun
day exercises for some time previous to
the introduction Of the bin, and had
decided that, taking everything into
consideration, their plan of permitting
Protestants and Roman Catholics
equal privileges, without allowing the
latter to erect an altar or have confess
sion, was the best. When the Geghan
law, however, was adopted, the Board
complied with it's requirements,
and the ROmanists celebrated mass for
the first time within a year inside of
the wOrk.hOuse walls, at half-past s
O'Clock A. N. Of the day mentioned.
The altar, which was built and trans
ported to the work-house during the
week previous, was constructed so as
to be movable, and was therefore
placed to one side when the Protestants
conducted services Sunday afternoon.
Rev. Father Mcmahon, of st. Johns
Cathedral, and Messrs. Graham, Nc
Evoy, Corcoran and Madden Roman
Catholics were driven to the work
house IN a hack, and, on their arrival,
the male and female inmates, number
ing between one and two hundred, were
ushered by the guards into the pleasant
chapel. Having all ranged themselves
In the comfortable seats, w. d. Patter-
son, superintendent, addressed a few
words to them, stating that no person
who did not desire to remain during
the exercises need do so. As no one
made a motion to leave the room,
Father Mcmahon a rose, donned his
vestments and proceeded to celebrate
mass. The guards were in theirproper
places to preserve order, and one of
them stated that fve-eights Of the men
were p~rofessed Romanists. The re-
mainder, he said, undoubtedly stayed
in the apartment from curiosity, or
because they preferred being there to
stopping IN their cells. On the con-
clusion Of the ceremony some remarks
were made by the priest, and the men
and women composing the audience
were then conducted out Of the chapel
by the officers IN charge. Afterleaving,
some Of the inmates appeared to view
the celebration Of mass IN the light of
a joke.
Neither Roman Catholics nor Pro-
testants expect TO accomplish much by
effecting conversions among the adult
inmates, but the Refuge Department,
which at present contains M hundred
and thirty-three boys, whose ages
range from eight to twenty-One years,
affords a fine field for labor. Hereto
fore the Romanists have conducted
Sunday-schOol one week and the Pro-
testant officers the next. According
to the new arrangement, boys who
have been instructed in the different
beliefs are to be separated. This de-
partment is under the control Of W.
Q. LOOMS. Superintendent, and A.
McBayne, assistant.
After Father Mcmahon and his assO-
ciates had concluded their services in
the chapel, Sunday morning, they en-
tered the first s]chOolroom occupied by
the children. Messrs. Edwards and
Patterson, together with Mr.. LComis
and his assistant, were present, and the
boys were informed that two schools
would hereafter be held. The Roman
Catholic priest would conduct one, and
the teachers the other. Such boys as
preferred to attend the Catholic school
wereinstructedt to step into the adjoining
room, and all Protestants were desired
to remain. The pupils were also told
that they were deciding once for all, as
they would be compelled as long as
they remained in the Refuge to attend
the school selected at this time. The
result Of the division showed that sew
ent7 preferred Romano catholic teaching,
and sixty-three Protestant. Assistant
Bayne was placed In charge of the
Protestant school, and the ROmanists
then began their instruction of the
other boys.