Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-29
GOSPEL AT THE JAIL
How It is Brought to the Inmates BY
Christian Workers.
Warden Leonard's Views in Regard
vantnges of the Whipping Post.

Every Saba tn day one or more bands Of
Christian workers visit the District Jail. and
sing and pray with the unfortunate ones
confined therein. In all prisons religious
services are welcomed by the prisoners.
however wicked and depraved they be. for
rare. indeed. is the prisoner who does not
welcome participation in such services or
who does not regard as a severe punish
ment exclusion therefrom. The inmates OF
the District Jail, and. according to Warden
Leonard's last report they daily average
300 In number, are not by any means ex-
ceptions to this rule.
So. when the warden last fall and winter.
because of the prevalence Of smallpox in
the city, suspended the holding Of religious
services in the prison. the prisoners SIN
cerely deplored the necessity for such
precaution.
Religious services are held every Sunday.
and until several months ago the prisoners
were admitted to the big rotunda OF the
prison, where the services were held. But
Warden Leonard, believing that there is
great danger in allowing the congregation
there Of 50 many desperate men, deter
mined with the approval Of the District
Supreme Court, to restrict the prisoners 70
the respective wings Of the prison In whicn
they are confined. The prisoners are. how
ever, released from their cells and assem-
BILE on the steps and landings Of the floors
of the wings Of the jail during the services
held in the rotunda. Between them ana
those conducting the services only an open
steel screen or netting intervenes. SO that
the prisoners are enabled to see and hear
all that Is done and said.
Efforts of Christian Workers.
Every Sunday morning. from II to II, the
members Of the st. Vincent de Paul 80
ciety visit the Jail, and in one of the large
double cells hold services. Every other
Sunday colored workers. under Rev. John
Roberts, hold services in the rotunda OF
the jail, hymns being sung, prayers offered
and short addresses made. These services
are held from noon to 80. Every Sabbath
afternoon, from 2:30 to 3:45. gospel work.
ers from the Central Union Nilsson con-
duct services. Until recently workers from
the Y NJ. C. A. visited the jail In the AFTER
noon and held services. but they found
their other duties occupying so much of
their time that they relinquished their ia
bors at the jail in favor Of workers from
the Central Union Mission.
The warden holds the opinion that IL
labor was made part Of the sentence In the
cases Of those sentenced to Imprisonment
in the District Jail a great reduction IN the
number of prisoners would result; Bu.
Mr.. Leonard, while so believing. explained
that until workshops were provided ana q
great, high wall built around the jail II
would, Of course, not be practicable TO
place prisoners at work. A few prisoners
are employed In the Jail kitchen. engine
rooms and now and then at odd jobs in the
yard. but SO far is this work from being
laborious that the prisoners. knowing that
they will receive slight extras IN the way
of food, are always anxious to be put to
work.
But, nevertheless, Mr.. Leonard believes
that IL workshops were provided, so that
hard labor could be made part of the SEN
tence, not only would the prisoners be
made more than self-supporting. but the
horror of hard labor would materially dis
courage and greatly reduce the number OF
criminals. As 1t Ii now, and has been for
years, prisoners sentenced to confinement
in the District jail lead life of utter idle
ness-an idleness, too, which the experience
of years shows breeds and encourages In
dolence thereafter, and gives unlimited OPP
portunities for the Matching of future
wickedness and vice.
Warden Leonard also believes, with the
late grand jury. that the re-estaolishment
of the whipping post here would not be I'M
wise He would. however, limit such pun
ishment to wife beaters. for he is of the
opinion that no other punishment Is ade-
quate. Why" remarked Mr.. Leonard,
''such fellows do not mind imprisonment In
the Jail. Indeed, most Of them rather en-
Joy it, as you will probably conclude when
tell you that, although have not been in
charge of the Jail quite two years, l have
in mind several fellows who have. since l
have been warden, been sentenced here
four or five different times for beating
their wives. But give such rascals a dose
of their own medicine on the bare back,
and they would change their tune"