Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1889-07-04
SUNDAY IN PRISON.
Types Found IN the Chapel of the
Great Penal Institution at
jefferson.

pass the dining-room, where the
prisoners, 800 in number, were
seated at tables and partaking with
relish of what appeared to be
comfortable and appetizing meal.
Indeed, it may be remarked just
here that, as far as the writer could
see, the whole condition of the
Penitentiary and its inmates was of
a character to reflect great credit
on the Warden and his police.
From the dining-room the prisoners
assembled to the chapel by flights of
broad and easy stalrways. They
entered it cap in hand, following
their guards in single file. The
room is 200 feet long, so wide and
20high, ,and is provided with chairs,
so arranged as to make space for
chair and chaplain in the center Of
one of its sides. Their prison
garb impaired something Of uni
formlty to their appearance-never-
theless they were a motley crowd,
stamped with strong and apparent
ly invincible individuality; and the
writer thought, as he gazed intent
ly upon them, that the lighter tread
of the sneak-thlef might be readi-
ly distinguished from the frmer
step and longer stride of the open
robber and murderer. There were
some unusually hard looking coun-
tenances among the whites and
many more among blacks; but that
did not indicate with certainty that
the owners of them were the worst
cases. By far the greater number
of the convlcts are young men and
yet they have an unamerican look.
Neither are they such characters
as are to be met with in groups in
ordinary assemblages. They have
been brought from the various
townships, municipalities and cities
of the State and therefore contrast
strongly with such gatherings as
the public is accustomed to. 1t is,
however, when these men are as
sembled or Sabbath afternoon for
instruction and worship, that they
make their most significant i'm
preston. In ordinary Sunday con-
gregations, one is struck with the
dignity, quiet, gentleness and re-
fnement of those that compose
them. Then Christians come
together with thankful hearts,
mainly to bless God for His mercy.
They are attracted by gratitude to
the Deity and concern for one
another. Their meeting is always
voluntary. Their lessons are often
reformatory; but attendance upon
them is never compulsory, and
much of the value Of their exercises,
if not the whole of it, is due to the
fact that they are the outcome of
honest and tender hearts. But
such is not the handspring of the
exercises and such are not the mo-
tives that bring together the vast
Sabbath afternoon assemblages of
the chapel of the Penitentiary.
Attendance upon them is compul-
sorry. The lesson may be reforma-
tory, but, with rare exception, there
is neither heartfelt response nor
manifestation of regard for either
God or man. On the contrary,
visitors there seldom fail to notice
such a widespread defiance of both
as forcibly reminds them of a
hornets nest, that ordinary
instinct advises against meddiing
with. Not long since minister
made an engagement to take the
Champlain's place for an afternoon;
but when he scanned his audience,
he frankly confessed he had neither
the preparation nor ability nor
courage to address such a crowd
and remind it of the consequence
of sin: and if he were possessed of
all of them, he still had not voice
to reach half of those that compos-
ed it. What has been noticed gives
rise to many inquiries, and promi-
nent among them is the query,
whether such enforced assemblages,
lessons and exercises can benefit
those that are made to attend them?
To this inquiry those most init.
mately in contact with the pris.
oners give negative answer. They
look upon them as confirmed Grim.
inals ready to repeat their mis-.
deeds whenever opportunity offer;
inside or outside the penitentiary
and think that confinement and its
associations rather harden than
soften; but the general public, and
especially the religious portion o.
ut, takes issue with such sentimeLt
and demands that the wards of the
State, the unfortunates that have
| forfeited the right and, it may be,
lost for the time the power of self.
control, be treated with mercy anC
furnished the means and oppertu
nifty of repentance in the hope
that what seems impossible to mar
may be possible with God. Ir
compliance with this demand tht
Legislature, and those to whom th'
supervision and control of the Peni
Itentiary have been been intrusted