Semi-weekly interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1881-1905, 1882-06-13


God bless him, ever,
We visited the penitentiary soon after
arrival in the city and every thing was
full Of interest Nearly 200 prisoners
within walls-almOst an equal number be
ing drafted Of TO work on railroads, with
ample accommodation 70 that there 10
now no appearance Of the terrible over
orowding that Mortified the public not long
ago. II IL beautifully kept Not a foul
odor, nor an unsightly offence, At any turn.
| Cells clean and sweet, and n the female
/ department it was interesting and touch
| ing 10 see the little attempts az hnery, in
the way Of a Bit Of old lace curtain, and
scraps Of worn Brussels carpet with which
/ the occupant Of one cell had either satisi
ed scsthetical taste or feminine ambition to
/ look better than her neighbors. Five rows
of sleepine cells in the male department
rise one above the other with stairways
/ and rallied galleries in front, with an addi-
/ tional iron bar across IA Of them where
the life prisoners sleep Beds clean, and
cells we'll swept and sweet Every thing
in the working departments goes like clock
work. We were allowed to speak TO sever
al, among them Mr.. Grove Kennedy, who
choked up, poor fellow, as we did when we
greeted him. IL was almost too much for
Nuh with his great heart sensitive as a
woman's. They were boon companions
in many irolic, and now one Of them was
herel Whiskyl WHISKY | didn't feel
like smiling or even speaking, much all
the time | was within these awful walls,
where 700 Of my fellow creatures, no worse
than myself, had been tempted as they
we're, we're shut out from all society, ex-
cept their own, for various terms. IL was
especially touching TO look at one in for
life One Of these was working at his
loom in the hemp bagging factory, with
great chain upon him. lie had killed a
fellow prisoner since coming in, and was
counted too dangerous even to go uuchain-
ed in this house Of horrors. The manu-
iacture Of hemp baggiug, chairs, and the
well-known cedar chests has long been and
especially in this prison. The penitentia-
~ wagons have reputation, and the shoe
shop is turning ont favorite and superior
quality Of fine shoes especially for ladies
wear
The Cemetery is one Of surprising beau
~ Of location on the crest Of the clib,
commanding glorious view OF the Ken
lucky river. Grand forest trees and frs Of
great size and beauty adorn this lonely
Getty Of the dead" was sorry to see the
beautiful carving on Daniel Boone's mon
ument had been Clipped by Nandal hands
until the faces of the figures had become
horrid carricatuIes Shame on the unhallow-
ed hand that married il. Some Of the private
monuments are handsome and costly, whit
| the supurb shaft erected by the State at a
cost Of $4,000 to her dead warriors Of the
various battles, ancient and modern, is a
master piece Of sculpture and design.
The tide is turning fast and altho u Oh
the opposition dies hard il is going IA At.
PRAISE THE LORD. Il confessions for
soul. and % Amounted 10 Friday night
From this on we have Mavjor Hall. Sun.
dty morning we will hold services in the
penitentisry from 9 to IL, first preaching
to the women and then to the men. AT
Bpm, services in the yard Of the Capital,
90 accom- modate excursion from Louisville
and Lexington. Ever in Jesus
GEO o. BARNES.
SUNDAY EVENING, JUNE llth. 1882.
A few supplementary lines to tell you
the most remarkable service | ever witness
ed Promptly at nine this morning we
we're in the female ward Of the, Penitsnt:a-
nv. Separate religious services were held
for the women and men. had been look
ing forward to this privilege Of Of preach
ing 10 the cOnvicts ever since we thought
Of coming to Frankfort, and fully expected
a blessing. But exceeding abundIntly
above what asked or thought the dear
LORD has given. There were Al female
convicts at the meeting, who had never
confessed their Savior, and eucTy one of them
came. Four white, the rest colored. Sew
en- or eight were already consistent chris
/ tians. IL was a touching sight 10 witness
this clean sweep of the Spirits power. II
| / know anything Of human nature, gather
/ ed in the course Of a long experience, these
confessions were az thoroughly genuine az
any have ever seen. At 10 o'clock we
went TO the Chapel where the men collect
TO he preaching and for Sunday School.
Abo ut 500 gathered promptly at the tap Of
the prison bell Three-fourths Of an hour
we re consumed in distributing the prison
er - mail, 50 that our services lasted II
hours At ~ o'clock the dinner hour
st ruck, and although indulgence would
have been kindly granted by the Warden
. nd the dinner hour delayed, we did not
trespass on the rules. In brief, then, $40
Of the prisoners confessed the Savior, and
at the earnest request Of Nath. Woodcock,
alter the services were over we went down
into the dining room where Mr. Grove Ken.
nedy had been detained by his duties as
Superintendent Of the culinary depart
ment, and there he made the good confess
ion as the 3llth number. Oh! how dry
and sapless these words and numbers seem
in describing such a scene. | shall never
forget IT, never saw deeper and more
genuine feeling at any meeting, and as ]
took hand after hand, most of the eyes
we're moistened with tender tears az they
make the glorious confession. 1t was
simply overwhelming.
The dear Governor and his noble lady
with about a dozen friends who take deep
interest in the prison work, were present.
But have no time 10 write more. At
the afternoon service IL confessions and @
were amounted. Total Sunday afterno on,
422 for soul, and 46 Amounted. Will put
on back of envelope the result Of tonights
meeting il it closes before the Louisville
excursion train leaves The train is I'll
Of excursionists from Louisville, Lexing-
ton, Versailles and Lawrenceburg, and the
steamboat % has just arrived full Of peo-
pie from Madison. Indiana.
PRAISE THE LORD.
Platform and seats have been raised by
the Governor in the Capitol grounds for
an open air service, but the rain drove us
10 the Opera Hall. Ever in Jesus
GEO o BARNES.
Twelve at Night