The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-01-28
THE PENlTENTIARY SUNDAY
THE TWO RELIGIOUS SERJICEs ON
BLaCkWELL'S ISLAND.
what the Ex-vice-Pre.,dcnt of the Security
Liz Insurance Company IL Doing In his
In,pri.onnent-Meo cody and sankey We u > nina.

AZ lU9 - CLOCK yesterday tlofIllliB ofD ulen
and 95 women, of forbidding mien and garb.
were seated in orderly rows in sunny little
chapel Of the Backwcls Island Pcnitentary,
bowling their heads whc the opening prayer of
the Roman Catholic service wns offered.
The pastor. Father vcttcr. a kindly old French
priest. has ofciated in the penitcntiary chapel
for many years. He has a grave and benevo-
lent face. After the opening prayer he began
n simple and eloquent sermon upon the life
character. md teachings OF Saint Paul In gentle
and illustrative manner AZ he might have done
II he had been addressing n school Of rather
unruly boys and girls. And his rough auditors
hustled up from the bowed attitude OF prayer
into the kinding movement induced by world
lier discourse Just like so many overgrown chill
drcn. in their turn though there were many
heads among them that were bent or white with
years. and faces in which wrinkles OF age ana
vice were strangely intcrminglcd.
Four blue-unformcd Keepers wcre stationed
Mt regular intervals along the two sides at which
the stalrways entered from the cchoing stone
noorcd, cell-tcrcd. grating sided corridors be-
low. And although, at II random glance, they
also seemed cugrossed in the good man sim.
pie homilcs. 1t required only n second and
kcencr one to discover that their penetrating.
undcrhrowcd looks never rested in n rowing
ana vglant watch along inc mnn( -h'hh'u,
motley rows ~ crring and criminal persons
that almost crowded the main body Of the chapel
floor in front OF tho rostrum. Whatever tho
preacher the visitor might hope for
In thu humanizing influences Of relig-
ion there. it was plain to see that me
ASPECTS " the cas-" nlonc-that sign of rebel
lion. either isolated or concerted. was always
WIN them am2ng ne p'ssi,l,,,s 0i tnn que,
sirenm"d in broad nnrrcd strcaks from the tall
windows looking "nst.
the males i'm narrow spuc's on both sides NJ the
plaiiorm-aliar from which Father Netter was
! holding forth. but many OF their Races were
seen. -lantwisc across the platform gs the VS.
| iiOr was ushcred up the siairwny On the south,
| crn sidn His entrance orcnsiuncd general
| cummnton ON both sides of the green curtains.
The women perred out curlou~ly hnNiously.
/ AMI. ia me casos. thcy smiled. Many ~ the
! men preserved their logged or careless ntt"n-
! tion 10 the pastor. without 50 much as turning
/ their heads toward the stair; hut the majority.
perhaps mower prisoners. who had not become
! accustomed to the approach of SUNDAY Specta-
tors stirred hriskly on their seats. rolled around
! thor shnven polls and eyed him with variety
/ u expressions on their faces than was a. gro
| tosque a. il was interesting. The faces wore
eager. sullen. defiant. cunning. conicmptuous
| careless. b.sccehlng threatening. and search
| ing altogether, in u strange comhinaton OF in
uuiry that WINS aim 'u 10 face without cmhar
rassment and unea-n"ss.
one rough fellow seated near the head of the
/ stairs. manifested his courtesy by softly slip
ping upon MS knees. and hqnding out Tor me
/ writer's a,rommodttiun IN" ihf"e-iegged stool
I on which he had been seated. but nj fruwn
/ from a neii:hhoring keeper lie resumed his
/ former attitude in shrinking. covering way.
II was evident that To the majority 81 those fell
lows the sight Of any visitor made red letter
moment in their weary. grinding. prison lives.
The commotion lasted for only moment
/ however. and then tn" motley heads and iurrS
/ again swung toward the prra 'h.r who had not
/ made tn slightest change IN his words or man
/ nor while II WAS ttktn. place, th"rn was a deal
/ ot coughing and sn' Hing naturally Incident
PERHAPS To- the season OF IT," year. rs we'll ~ 10
an cN'ess of nr 'hit0rtural yrnt'lation-hut no
I shulli M. Of feet or extraordinary rcstl"ssneSs
/ of attitude. and. altogether. the congregation
was NOR" S0emlS anu decnrnu- lhhn mat IN one
! of the Nater street prayer meetings OF several
4 glance at the census Of the prison-a slate
| imh-ddcd in the wall. and secured by mas
sive, iron safe door. near the main entrancc-
| revealed yestcr dav's criminal population OF the
penitentiary a. 1j2 males, l9S females. and 5
/ Asnfc door upon being unlocked and opened.
displayed six great steel keys hanging from
| hooks in the wall: lhrse Keys being sufficient,
at n single turn Of each. 10 place every one Of
stor.rooms. meat rooms kitchens. laundries
BAKE rooms, main entrances, g., under insur-
mountahlc bolt and par on Inc male side OF the
In the warden's pleasant offlcc q, the cast
side. the writer found two accd clerks husying
Office rails. A spruce young prisoner In the
russell uniform. that distinguishes IN" wcarer
from his striped uniformed fellows as being
in 0Hrrrrgt"d for some onencr against the civil.
instead OF the criminal. law. was also perform
ing some c"rky duties at "a little desk III front
In the same garb was an elderly respectable.
| looking man. who Was summing himself on a
b.n IA near the door. He j. tall and mcagrr OF
frame. anxious and dcspondcnt of fa'". Now
and then he read Il paper which h. iltfuy
rlstlcd ~ he read then again lac twirled h Is
| ey"Eid-S"s between his thumb and finger and
gnzrd aistractly AT the ceiling a. though me.
! chanically returning to some old counting
room habit that had distinguished him in
Liter days; rms wns M1tniI ,' tne Zee
pany. who Was recently convicted Of nspirHcy
and X undergoing MS sentence OF one year.
Seated on tn" bench AT tho rear wall Of the Of
flee, was a visitor who HAD Just arrived and
was awaiting convict. Tor whom he had
brought change of understandings The prs-
oner was presently ushered in. He was strap
ping youth OF about nineteen. with checks As
fresh aud rosy as a girl and So erect and
handsome. ~ he shook hands with his visitor
~ to set on L. wondering what his lndiscre-
ton could have been. This was Lebouler-. o
excellent family aud good education. but con
hrmcd thici. noted as being the champion ial
Of the prison, and recently sent 10 BLACKWELL
Island for one year for inventing and practis
ing an ingenious theft OF car and omnibus
fares.
lon. galleries. with their four tiers Of cells OF
one side, their bare. narrow W indowcd was on
the other the visitor found about half the eel
doors were open, the prisoners who belonged II
them being still in the chapel The doors of th'
other cells were closed. and their occupant,
wnre sitting On the sides of their beds. An,
bending near the light 70 read some book or pa
per IN their hands. These were unwilling I,
attend the Roman Catholic service. then guinl
on. and would attend the Protestant service On
the same chnp"l III the afternoon
Unless at their meals. the prisoners mus
M Mr. Berren saii t"rs"iy They ca M "" ~ T.
either Protestant or Catholic chapel. as the
choose. but cannot go to both or can remain ii
70 their cells all day, reading or sleeping. as SOM
of them prefer. Perhaps some Of the Catholic
want for the Protestant afternoon service, whir
includes some good sing ng. while Ill" tathoii
; service Is long, and Is composed almost eA
clusively of prayers.
I In the long galleries on both sides, whic
, | answer for dining halls. the tables were ii
| | readiness Tor dinner Yesterday II cons lsted d
twelve ounces OF bread. twelve ounces OF corno
the sundays fare differing from week day