St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-06-07
Archbishop Feehan Of Chicago Adminis-
tiers the Sacrament Of Confirmation
to LII Joliet Convicts,
Among Them Some of the Most Noted
Crooks in the Countrywide Sight !
q Novel One.
A Chicago Cabman Makes a Criminal
Assault Upon a We1I-Knowu
Married Lady.
Emil Hetten Hansen, Wanted In Mis-
souri, for Big Robbery, Captured
at Springfield, Ill!
A Novel Sight.

special to the Globe.
JOLIET, Ill, June Archbishop Fee
nan paid visit to the prison at Joliet to-
Jay. The occasion of his grace's visit was
10 aunlnister the sacrament of confirmation
10 III convicts. Never before has such a
thlng occurred in any penal institution in
the country. 1t was indeed novel sight
and most Impressive one too, TO see these
hardened criminals, who until recently had
never acknowledged even the existence of
GOD, bowling their heads and knees to
that God, and asking Him for strength to
GUIDE them henceforth in the right
PAIN. Inc most striking feature of
Ine whole ceremony, and everybody who
Witnessed 1t remarked it was the real peni-
tence OF the convictS who were confirmed.
There did not seem to be particle of
sham about it. They were all in downright
earnest, and looked as if they were sorry
Tor Their past lives and intended to do bet
ter III the future. The III men who were
confirmed were
PART OF A CLASS
which the brother adjutor, director of ST.
Patrlcks commercial academy of this CITY.
mas been lnstructing for the past five
months. The convict choir and orchestra.
under the leadership Of Miss Fish, Joliet
lady, sang and played sacred hymns.
Wnen the archbishop had donned
his robes he took his crozier.
proceeded to the front of the platform and
delivered short sermon. AS he finished
the conyictS on the front benches knelt
down, While the archbishop offered short
prayer. a bench had been placed in front
OF and close to the plato I'm. On this they
knelt, eight at time, while the archbishop
administered confirmation to each of them
IN turn according to the form laid down in
the ritual OF the Catholic church. They
marched out and returned to their seats mn
der the guidance of the brother adiutor
without the slightest confusion, while the
other convicts were as quiet as though their
lives depended upon it. Among those who
were confirmed was man who is now
serving his fifth term. He goes now under
the name of
JAMES BLAINE
and IS serving twelve-year sentence. He
created stir years ago by writing the
prominent people all over the country.
claiming to be relative in hard luck. He
obtained considerable money by this means.
Another one was an Indian boy without
any feet, who had to be lifted on the bench.
Another one, who was so i'll that he could
not walk, was carried in by two of his fell
low convlcts, who manifested the deepest
sympathy IN his welfare. After the
last confirmed convict had returned
to his place they all knelt down
while the archbishop gave them his bless
ing. He then spoke to the convicts again,
telling them of the great obligations they
owed to God on account of what he had
given them. The archbishop then retired
while Father Francis celebrated mass. for
which all the convicts remained. Those
who had been confirmed and many of the
others received holy communion. The
archbishop afterwards Ysaid the scene was
one long to be remembered.