Los Angeles herald., 1892-07-12
SINGING TO CONVICTS.
YOUNG WOMEN WHO DEVOTE THEIR
TALENTS TO CHARITY.

Mary and Lizzie Borneman's deIpful
Work in Brookiyn's Prisons-Interest-
ing Details of Their Experience Among
tho Outcasts of Society.
There are two young women in Brook
lvn who have laid out for themselves
most unusual line of duty, and who have
80 modestly and quietly pursued it that
this is probably the first time their
names have ever come before the public.
These noble young women are the
Misses Mary and Lizzie Borneman, who
have consecrated their lives to work
among prisoners and the very poor of
the city. They were born in the old
part of the city lying beyond Willough-
by street and Adams, and in that vicin-
ity their lives have been spent. For the
last five years they have lived with their
parents and sisters at 361 Jay street, and
are very domestic, industrious girls, car
ing for their younger sisters and aiding
their mother in good old fashioned
way SO seldom in vogue now.
OF all the family they two alone are
endowed with the gift of song, Mary
having a strong, clear soprano and Liz
zie contralto of wonderful strength
and beauty. To them the gift seemed
to be divinely given, and they decided
even while children that it must be used
for some good end, some purpose
For time they sang in churches, re-
ceiving large salaries for their services,
but this seemed selfish use of their
beautiful voices, and even against the
wishes of their parents they began on
Easter Sunday, ten years ago, to sing in
Raymond Street jail at Chaplain Bass
morning services, and from that time
their talents have been devoted entirely
to this work. Every Sunday morning
at 8 O'Clock they are admitted to the
corridor of the Jail, and every Tuesday
evening, and no prisoner who has been
locked within those walls during the
past ten years but has been comforted
by the sound Of their voices Once in
the month always, sometimes twice,
they sing in the Kings County peniten-
tiary in the afternoon, and since the In
'dustrial home has been started they
sing there Sunday and Thursday even
ings Aside from these services they
sing often in concerts given for chari-
table purposes.
Nor are their duties entirely confined
to singing. Often they are sent for by
some poor prisoner, and never call
comes in vain. At any time they are
ready to go with words of comfort or
little gifts of some kind to the darkest
cell, to the most desperate prisoner.
Next to Rev. Mr.. Bass himself, these
two young women are best known and
best beloved of any persons in Brooklyn
by the outcasts of society.
"Not a few times" said Miss Lizzie to
a reporter, 'shave we acted as brides
maids in the jail and penitentiary, and
have signed our names as witnesses to
the marriage contracts. Quite as often,
too, have we stood as godmothers to
poor little prison born babes. We are
often sent for to sit beside the sick pris-
oners, and have seen deaths, too, within
the prison walls"
''Have you ever known many of the
famous criminals here?'
"Oh, yes. The saddest duty we ever
had to perform in our lives has been to
visit some of the condemned men in
Raymond Street Jail. shall never for
get the morning Mills was hanged. He
was convictedrof wife murder, and be-
fore his death.was converted to Chris
tianity through Mr.. Bass efforts. He
often wanted MS to sing for him, and to
the last we went. The little organ was
placed just outside his cell door, and
there we would sing and Mr.. Bass would
talk to him. 1t seemed always to cheer
him until the day before the execution,
when, while we were there, the clothes
he was to wear, even to the slippers and
hose, were brought to him, and then he
seemed stunned and was like one turned
to stone. He seemed then to fullyrealize
his position, and from that moment lost
all of his cheerfrlness. 1t was his wish
that we come again in the morning, and
of course we went and sang as long as
we were permittad to stay"
"Were You with any others at such a
time2"
Eyes, we were with Jefferson before
that.
"Wewere afraid to go near McElwaine's
cell. He was so coarse and brutal that
his language was not fit for us to hear.
He is the only prisoner we have met who
has not behaved like gentleman in our
presence. When we,were visiting Mills,
every day Kramer, the burglar, occu-
pied an adjoining cell and used to hang
blanket up to his door that he might
not see us, and we were very careful
never to look toward his cell. One day,
however, Mills told us that Kramer
wanted to speak to ne, and we noticed
sthen that there was nosscreen at the bars
,sof his cell. He asked rs to sing some
sfavorite hymn of his, and from that time
seemed very friendly. He afterward was
sentenced to two years and half in the
penitentiary, and while there sent for us
to come to see him. He was desperate
man, and had broken out,of every prison
in.which he had ever been, confined and
had won for himself the eobriquet Of
Bolts and Bars"
Few young women truly have wit
messed such scenes as have these young
singing missionaries, and their home is
filled with little gifts, tokens of gratitude
from prisoners. Now York World.
I He Never Lost u Book.
! once heard Of fine old bibliophile
who had the price put inside all his vol