Evening star., 1895-04-29
Religious Services ut the Jail.


To the Editor of The Evening Star:
The Stars attitude toward morality and
good citizenship prompt. me as an inter-
ested and continuous visitor attending and
engaging in religious services at the Jail
on Sunday afternoons for the past ten
years to write you a few lines on the sub
ject.
The Christian work there of holding
public services in. the rotunda of the Jail
has for thirteen years or more been under
the supervision of committee of Y. NJ.
c. A. men, who have alternated in leading
the meetings, supported by a. company of
other speakers and singers. These services
have been looked forward to, from week
to week, by many of the prisoners and
some Of the guards as rich treat, and
many hearts have been stirred to better
Christian living, while other hearts have
been touched and moved to give up sin
and begin to serve God, inspired by the
simple heartfelt Gospel talks and expe-
riences, the prayers and the grand Gospel
hymns, the latter reaching every corner of
the old building, Joined in by some in their
cells too far away to hear the spoken
word. and tears have often coursed down
cheeks. unused to them as old memories
or Police Court prisoners" only have been
permitted to come out of their cells and
be seated in the rotunda, and with this
precautfOn no outbreak of prisoners has
occurred in these years. and nothing point
ing to such outbreak is known, but rather
more human tendency on the part of the
prisoners is noted and they have been
easier to manage This is the evidence of
some of the guards.
A goodly number of men processing con-
version at the Jail are now known to be
church members in the city, good citi-
zens. with good habits and good homes,
terrible character. died in Christian faith
after living several years of faithful Chris
tian life.
The poor and criminal classes in this city
being formed from the colored people large
ly, of course the prisoners are mostly of
that race, and in some respects present
an uninviting field; the odor of the place
has not improved, and on the whole the
associations are not the most pleasant
nor the duties the most agreeable, for no
one selfishly considering his own comfort
would leave his own parlor and family
circle for a visit to the Jail, yet for the
Masters sake, to aid in reScuing the per-
ishing for whom Christ died, as much as
for any (for He is no reSpecter of persons)
we have found it a joyful duty and privi-
lege-not to gain the approval and praise
Of men. There would be no need of thus
publicly making mention of any details of
this work if 1t could have continued with
out a break, but we believe the Christian
public are with us for the reopening Of
made.
It seems to those best acquainted with
the work and its results that to the aver
age real estate or home owner, business
man or household is warranted greater Sc
curity to life and property and morals by
such work in this institution, and there
is no chaplain nor other official arrange
ment for religious worship and instruc-
tion there does 1t not solve a problem to
encourage this entirely voluntary service
eing of very little expense to any one,
rather than to shut those men and women
away from the influences of the Gospel?
1t were heathenish or going backward to-
ward the dark ages and not according to
this enlightened, humane and Christianized
age, and in this capital city of our great
Christian nation. There is no penal insti-
tuition in this country, probably. that has
not its chapel and public worship for all
well-behaved prisoners. While we think,
for several reasons. that the rotunda is
the best location in the Jail for the public
worship, if there is any danger to any
body or any reason why 1t should not be
used, we then claim that the room built
in the east wing of the building for a
chapel and known as such and not needed
nor used for any other purpose should
by all considerations Of justice and good
ness be utilized. A. L. SWARTWOUT.