The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-09-21

The Knterfainnents, Attended by the
Clergy. Were Not Brutal.
Eaxs ySff4

clergy. were NOV RfateA.
wAIrA wAILA. Sept 10. 1894
To TEE Error: / wish 20 supplement-
the telegram sent you Sunday at the soLi-
citation OF Warden Cobien,z. although
that wire was dictated and written en-
t1rcly By myself under the tersely ex-
pressed wi.h OF the warden that l saonia
tell anything / knew" By the following
communication. which has been suggested
or solicited by nobody but myself
Ny sole interest in the Washington state
penitentisry, located here. Is that which
naturally arises IN connection with the
religious services which / hold each sum
day afternoon at ? O'Clock, in which am
assisted By members Of my vested down
town church cnoir, numbering from ten TO
twenty-five persons. These services are
carried on without hope or expectation OF
pecuniary reward, as this state does nos
provide for chaplzincies or religious ssrF-
ices in its prisons or asylums. Although
have two and sometimes three other
services and sermons besides the service
and sermon az the prison, the interest
of the prisoners in their service has
become SO kindly and so general
that we gladly endure the fatigue OF
\ fourth service and sermon for
the sake Of bringing the comforts OF the
Gospel TO them. Ii must be borne in mind
that the prisoners attendance upon these
services Is purely voluntary. The neces-
sity is therefore placed upon US OF gaining
their interest and goodwill in every way
possible. To this end | have distributed
among them the past year from 1900 to
l5,oO0 secular papers. magazines. Illus
trated and religious papers. most OF which
have been procured from the church ladies
of Boston, Philadelphia and New York
city, through the agency of the Church
Periodical Club. We have also given
them the finest music which my excellent
choir can furnish, the musical services
usually measuring fully mp TO those in ST.
Paul's church, which latter have gained
no little local celebrity. And in the fur
Their pursuit of this one aim to gain the
kindly goodwill of the prisoners
without individual visitation, which
neither my time nor the rules
of the PRISON would conveniently
permit on q sufficiently large scale to
reach 800 prisoners, | have attended their
performances which in many respects are
really meritorious, as some of the prison
ers are college and university graduates.
Not only have 1 attended these perform
ances myself, but have organized "ehoir
parties" consisting OF the members of the
choir and their friends to the number of
fifty or 100 people, who have gone out to
hear the prisoners programme, kindly
repeated at my request by the warden.
Furthermore, at the time our Episcopal
convocation met here in June | again
requested the warden to allow the prison
ers to give US 'show," which, upon the
joint invitation of the warden and myself,
was attended by the bishop, clergy and
large number of my choir and church
people and their friends.
That these efforts to gain the goodwill
and interest of the prisoners has been
largely successful may be seen from their
voluntarily crowding the dining room at
the services on Sunday; in their hearty
participation in the prayers and psalter;
in their reverently kneeiing during the
prayers; in the gusto with which they
sing the matchless hymns of the church.
at times actually drowning the voices of
my most efficient choristers. and In the
streaming tears of numbers of them rs
some solo or description or favorite hymn
or Scripture lesson finds its way into their
hearts. And when see these strong men,
these brlckmakers, jute spinners and
weavers. coming to spend an hour of their
precious day of rest with the services of
the church, and at almost every service
see some of them, as did last Sunday,
vainly trying to stay their tears by brush
ing them away on the striped sleeve of
ignominy, only to have them return
afresh, l know that scores of these men
are not bad at heart, but have been caught
l. =. n
in that respect only differ from thousands
who are outside. And / want nothing to
happen which shall endanger the continu-
ance of these services in the Washington
penitentiary. The warden is not reli-
gious man and there is danger that he
may feel that the preachers have added to
his troubles, no matter how indirect 1t
may have come or how innocent so ever
the preacher may be. The warden's good
will and assistance are absolutely neces-
sary in state which makes no provision
for religious services among ITS prisoners.
There has been no proper excuse, i
seems 10 me. for even indirectly bringing
Bishop Wells or his clergy into this politi.
cal contention. They are taking no part
in politics. and the fact that upon my
invitation they attended these entertain
kAfGA ~ sA.S IN winch
there were no priEefights or anything more
brutal and blameworthy than the old
district school pastime OF 'cufling off
each Others hats, the participants. mean
while laughing and joking. cannot By any
possibility be justly twisted into anything
improper on the part of either clergy or
warden. ! could. if necessary. bring the
written testimonials of scores of the best
ladies and gentlemen of Walla Walla TO
prove that these glove contests at the
prison were neither brutal nor destructive
of temper among tho participants / do
not believe that any OF the puff. ball blows
that ! saw given would break pullets'
eggs. AT least | should dislike to wait for
my breakfast until my poaehed eggs
were cracked in that way. For N.Y.
self do not approve Of boys learning to
use the gloves, fer it makes them
saacy IN degree TO their profi-
cheney, and thus invites the vsrv
assaults which their proficiency in boxing
Is supposed 70 protect the N from. The
same time devoted 10 eultivating the
graoes Of Christian gentleman. together
with the law. Will afford all reasonable
protection 10 any man. And as for sx-
ercise, / know % none which 10 80 sure 10
leave the swagser and impudsnt air OF the
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