The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-02-18
A STIR AT STATE PRISON.
SOME CONNECTS AT WETH ERsFIELD
 WON'T ATTEND DIVINE SERVICE.

Twenty or Thirty Stayed in Their Cells
 Yesterday-Director BollInann's Views on
 the subject-He Does Not See Any Reason
 for Any Trouble.
 It was reported last evening that
 there was excitement among the in-
 mates at the state prison, and that
 some twenty or thirty of the convicts
 had remained in their cells yesterday and refused to attend divine services at the chapel. It was also said that the refusal of the convicts to attend divine services was in some measure attribut- able to the influence of an official who has lately been charged with causing
 more or less of a feeling of independence among the inmates of the institution.
 Charles F. Bollmann of this city, who is president of the board of directors of the state prison, was seen at his home last evening and questioned in refer ence to the report. He said that he had heard absolutely nothing concerning any trouble among the conviots at the prison, and was loath to believe that any existed. "I cannot understand" said he, "why any such trouble should exist nor why any official should att tempt to influence any of the convicts to make it, nor do believe, in the ab sence of any proof, that any such thing has been done. In the first place at tendance at divine services in the chapel is not compulsory upon the inmates of the institution, and each person has perfect liberty to attend or stay away, as he or she may please.
 Divine services are held in the chapel of the prison every Sunday, when there is preaching by Chaplain Moses. The latter belongs to the Congregational faith, but as far as can learn the preaching is, upon religion in general, and not upon the ftenets of any particu- lar faith or creed. These services are held every Sunday morning, and in ad- dition there is held on the second Sun day of each month Catholic services for the benefit of the inmates of the in- stitution of that belief For these ser vices an extra appropriation of, think, $200 is made to one of the Catholic churches in the vicinity, and for this one of the priests comes to the prison and holds the services.
 As said before, attendance at Ihese services is not compulsory upon the in mates of the prison. Each one has the the right to go or not as his conscience dictate, There is, however, provi- ionrwhereby all who attend these ser vices are rewarded with an extra dish at the Sunday dinners. I think they receive a plate of soup or something of that kind, but just what 1t is I cannot say. At the present tine or at least when the last report of the institu- tion was made out there were 155 Cath olic inmates. I have not heard of any trouble having taken place there, and hardly believe it true, as I can see no reason for them taking any such step. Of course there is a possibility that some of the inmates may not know of the reward for attending divine service and consequently not receiving the ex- tra dish at the Sunday dinner have re- belled against this practice. On the whole, think the plan of giving the in- mates a little extra for attending di- vine service is a good one in, the line of work, as the inmates cer- tainly hear nothing bad, and on the other hand may learn something which will start them on the right track in life"