CATHOLICS AND PRISON STATISTICS

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXVII, Issue 7, 18 February 1909, Page 251

CATHOLICS AND PRISON STATISTICS

11. SOME SUDDEN AND PECULIAR «CONVERSIONS' TO 'ROMAN CATHOLICISM' (By the Rev. Charles J. Yenning, S.M., Catholic Chaplain to the Wellington Prison-.) In an article under the above heading in our issue of December 24- the Rev. C. J. Yenning, S.M.; Catholic Chaplain to the Wellington Prison, showed how unreliable were the records as to the religion of prisoners, and gave several instances of such who described themselves as ' Roman Catholics ' when they were in reality non-Catholics, and in some instances atheists. In the following contribution on the same subject Father "Yenning gives us a further and more detailed insight into the manner in which considerable classes^ of non-Catholic prisoners become ' Roman Catholics ' in gaol for reasons entirely disassociated with religious convictions: The Attorney-General (Hon. Dr. Findlay) is at present busily engaged revising the police regulations. He stated

recently that ' the machinery of" the regulations must be brought up to date. The question of prison reform and criminology has engaged a good deal of his attention during the last few. years. The classification of prisoners is a difficult problem.' Every thinking man knows how press* ing is the need for such reform. Catholics, for instance, would like to see some reform in the present system of compiling information in regard to the religious denominations of crime for enumeration in our prison statistics* Why not see that the information therein supplied ap>proximates at least in some degree to scientific correction, especially as, year by year, it is used for the purposes of a comparison between creed and creed? Why not require in this matter the- measure of ■ accuracy — or at least the absence of gross and positive falsehood — that, in certain contingencies, is required under legal penalty in certain other matters of our census returns? Why should not Parliament make religious misdescription by criminals arid misdemeanants an indictable offence ? Why should Catholic body, be charged with the delinquencies of members of other creeds or. of non-creeds? - If these criminals described themselves in the gaol records as c Roman Catholics ' with a view to spiritual ministrations, we would raise no objection. No Catholic chaplain would object to preach to a ' mixed congregation '- in a gaol. But when these false and persistent statements are used for public information and comparison in the Official Tear Book, we should not remain silent. ,^ '. The affirmations of prisoners as to. their religious profession should be taken as statutory declarations in which false statements would be punishable as perjury. A few prosecutions — for w.hich a rich abundance of evidence is ready at any time — would serve to convince the criminal fraternity of the Dominion- that, in .this matter at least, c honesty is the better policy.' Why should we be saddled, as we are saddled to a considerable degree, with the crimes of the active or. nominal" adherents of other creeds or noh^creeds ? Official prison statistics of religious denominations, - as at present compiled, are utterly worthless and misleading. They furnish' no reliable evidence whatever as to the religious allegiance of prisoners. Why do so many criminals practise this curious inisdescription to so great an extent against Catholics? The Editor of the New Zealand Tablet supplies the answer in part in the Otago Daily Times of February 6, and in his own columns of February 11; and shows how far the mystery of criminal psychology conceals the rest from persons who are mentally andinorally normal. From the same paper of a previous date I quote the following : 'We are convinced that in the graver offences that constitute "criminals" in murder, suicide, rape, -indecent assault, burglary, swindling, infanticide, prenatal murder, juvenile depravity, flagrant conjugal infidelity, and in other grave infractions of the moral laws of which God takes note where the policeman and the statistician fail, the Catholics of New Zealand would gladly take their chance as against those of all other sections of the community.' . • Even when (more or less qualifiedly) ' genuine ' Catholics are discovered in prison it is found that (1) most of them know nothing of their religion, which cannot therefore be blamed for their plight; (2) the great majority of them are, in the matter of educational up-bringing, the products of State schools. They are in gaol, not because they are Catholics, but because they had no Catholic influence in their early lives; they had been without a Catholic home, Catholic companions, Catholic teaching, Catholic schools. It would be impossible for anyone to find a vestige of Christianity in six out of thirty men at present in the Wellington Terrace Gaol — six ' Roman Catholics,' bogus, counterfeit Catholics, who cannot even make the sign of the Cross. Eight out of thirty do not know the ' Our Father.' Three of those who do know any prayer at all know not the Catholic, but the Protestant version. Five out of the remainder declared that they were ' confirmed ' by Father . This fact will tickle the Catholic ear. A Catholic knows- from his catechism that a Bishop is the ordinary minister of this Sacrament. Yet five individuals declare that Father ~ (mentioning the name) confirmed them. In two of the cases the priests mentioned reside in New Zealand. They would be amused to hear that the Holy See had favored them with the power to administer this Sacrament. _ When asked how old he was when ' confirmed,'- one ' Roman Catholic ' prisoner timidly ventured to reply that he was five years old ! Another said he was ' confirmed ' ' two or three times ' 1 Perhaps he meant to say that he had been ' convicted ' two or three times ! Twenty-two out of thirty ' Roman Catholics ' in Wellington Prison were, educationally, the product of State schools. Of the remaining- eight, two are exceedingly doubtful. One stated that he went to a Catholic school ' for a while,' but finished at a State school. Another averred that he was five months at a Catholic school. JSven these statements were not to be relied on, for in two cases I was told at first that they went to a Catholic

school, but before I had finishod my interview they frankly admitted that they had never been inside either a Catholic church or school. A few of the genuine Catholics stated that they would not have heen in gaol" if they had kept to the practice of their religion. The names of the prisoners mentioned in this article are enclosed, . in order ■to be placed for reference in the Tablet archives. One man assured me that he was a ' Roman Catholic' On pressing the question, he admitted that he was not, 'but his wife was. I am still puzzled — because he is a bigamist, a much-married maai with a bevy of three wives. Which one out of this collection of goods and chattels was the Catholic? This bigamist is not, as far as I could gather, even a baptised Catholic. — [In the course of a letter of inquiry, Father Yenning states that this muchmarried individual claims to have been religiously instructed ' regularly ' for twelve months and received into the Church by the Rev. James Coifey, Adm., Dunedin. Father Coffey emphatically states that he does not know the man; that he never gave him any instruction, religious or otherwise; and that he never received him into the Church. — Ed. N.Z.T.] The following little tit-bit is taken from the Neiu Zealand Times of January 27, ISO 9: — ' Archibald John McNeill, alias Lambie, alias Palmer, alias Long, alias McNamara, etc., is a native of Scotland. It all depends upon the religion of the arresting detective whether he' is "Presbyterian" or "Church of England as to sect.' Yes, ' Archie ' is not the only one who can change his name and his religion where there is the faintest shadow of a prospect of any advantage. 'Archie,' I hope, will not fall into the hands of a Catholic detective; if so we shall have him posing as a ' Roman Catholic ' when' next he enjoys the King's' hospitality behind our prison bars. At present there is" a South African Jew who is entered in the gaol records as a ' Hebrew.' But among his many aliases is the tuneful one of c Barry ' ! The following information will be of interest to the Catholics of New Zealand, as showing how ' Roman Catholic ' prisoners are manufactured : In my last article (published in your issue of December 24) I mentioned the case of a man who owned up to the trick he had played in describing himself as a ' Roman Catholic ' on entering gaol. He has since ' reverted ' to the Church of England, on the recommendation of the Ca-tholic chaplain. I intend to watch further proceedings in his regard — how, for instance, will he be classified as to religious belief when the report is sent in at the end of the year to the Registrar-General? In the first place, who was to prevent him being a ' Roman Catholic' if he wished? What can be. done with men of this type, who snap their fingers gaily at the command which places a discount 011 the bearing of false witness? What put it into this criminal's degenerate head to become a ' Roman Catholic,' to ' receive ' himself into a Church which disowns him? The story is an interesting one. Some time ago, this interesting individual was wandering about, looking for work. He had ' that tired feeling ' at the time — and at most times — and only wanted what he was pleased to call ' a bob 'to see him through the night in safety. Now it so befell that on this particular night the organ-blower in one of the Catholic churches was ill. Our ' weary ' friend offered his services — he was willing to blow the organ and thus earn his mucli-coveted ' bob.' He blew, and fobbed the coin. From that time forward he began to feel that he was a 'Roman Catholic' Now it chanced that, a few months later, lie was sentenced to a period of retirement — for forgery. Ah ! here was an opportunity to show his gratitude for that hour at the organ. So he serenely informed the authorities at the gaol that he was a ' Roman Catholic' I can vouch for the truth of this story". The man's name is enclosed for your museum of statistical curiosities. " Another case I met with last Saturday was that of a young man who assured me confidently he had been to the Catholic school, that he went to Mass every Sunday, that he was 'confirmed by Father ,' that his parents were good Catholics. Before the interview was finished he admitted that he had never been to a Catholic school, that he had never been to Mass, that he had never been inside a Catholic church, that he had never said a prayer in all his life^ that he could not make the sign of the Cross, that he had not Catholic parents, but was an adopted child cf Protestant parents. The name of this interesting statistical ' Roman Catholic ' will be found among the others of his kind. Yet another case. A man, who is undergoing a sentence of five years for sodomy, declared that he was a ' Roman Catholic,' that he went to a Catholic school, and that he was ' confirmed by Father !' A few minutes afterwards he admitted to me that he had never been to" school in his life, that he could neither read nor write, and that he had never been confirmed. When asked what '

church he attended before coming to gaol, he replied: ' Well; it's this way : if I am near a Catholic church Igo there, if lam near a Protestant church Igo there.' We ■ may ask : ' Which Church is to be held responsible for this gentleman's downfall? The man is an indifferentist, which means simply that he is not a Catholic. He does not seem to know where he was baptised or where he was born. -Like Topsy, he 'specs he growed. Here is a strange case: Some time ago a man was sentenced .for a serious crime to two, years' imprisonment. He entered the gaol as an ' atheist ', — said he was 'nothing. 1 After having spent a time in prison, he one day assaulted the governor. A few days afterwards this prisoner suddenly became a ' Roman Catholic' We read of St. Paul' 3 sudden conversion. Is this gaol conversion another such? From 'no religion,' .' free thinker,' 'atheist,' he suddenly was changed into ' Roman Catholic' But, like the marriage proposal in the play, it was — ' so s-sudden ! ' But there he is— for the nonce ' one of us.' He has nailed his (statistical) colors to the statistical mast. Sentence of three years has just been passed on him for ' bodily assault ' on the Governor of the gaol. The Judge had tha man examined as to his mental state, and two doctors declared that the man is a fit subject for an asylum. Yet this professing atheist's statement (that he is a 'Roman Catholic ') must remain on the books till doomsday. Such strange things are prison statistics I Here is the 'plum' of all in conclusion. Last week I met a prisoner with a name (names are not always much hefp) that sounded strange as ' a Catholic name.' Any day I visit the gaol I am as likely as not to meet one of these Protestant- Roman Catholic ' freethinker hybrids. This latest addition to the gaol population was sentenced the other day to seven years for breaking, entering, and theft (two charges). He had pleaded guilty in the Magistrate's Court, and only awaited sentence at the Supreme Court. In sentencing the prisoner, Mr. Justice Cooper described him as a ' most dangerous criminal ; the only safe place was to keep him locked up.' This man had the brazen impudence to tell me that he was a ' Roman Catholic' I had my doubts from the start. Here is what took place when I interviewed him : 'Have you been baptised a Catholic?'— ' Yt,s; of course I was, else why would I be down as Roman Catholic? Would you accuse me of telling a lie?' 'Have you ever been to confession?' — 'Yes.' 'How old were you when you made your first confession?'—' FOUR.'—! !!!*! !??**l I! !????**!!!! [The setting-up of this answer gave our linotype machine a passing fit of epilepsy. — The Operator.] 'Have you made your first Communion?' — 'Yes; of course I have.' ' Were you confirmed?' — ' Yes.' 'Who confirmed you ?'— ' Fathpr .' How old were you when you made your first Communion ?' — ' Don't know ; might have been ten, might have been twenty.' (At present he is forty years of age.) 'Were you ever inside a Catholic school?' — 'No.' (This was the first time he spoke the truth.) 'Have you been attending "the Catholic church?' — • Yes.' ' How often?' — ' Every Sunday.' Now comes the turn in the tide. ' Make the sign of the Cross.'—' Can't.' 4 What words are used by Catholics when they make the sign of the Cross?' — 'I don't Icnow.' ' Say the " Our Father." '— ' I don't know it. I never said a prayer in my life; I never was in a Catholic church; in fact, I don't believe there is a God.' ' What religion were you professing before you came here to gaol?' — 'None.' ' Where were you living before your arrest?' — ( In street.' (This street has been the nursery of hundreds of criminals; it is a hotbed of moral filth.) ' Why did you put yourself down as a Catholic when you have no claim whatever to "the title? On your own admission, you are not, never have been, a Catholic' — ' I had to say something when- 1 was asked what religion I was, so I said " Roman Catholic." It didn't make much difference to me what religion I follow; I believe in nothing.' These facts will, I trust, prove of interest to the readers of the New Zealand Tablet. The moral of it all is that we should not let even one of these cases of the ' Roman Catholicism ' of the gaols go unchallenged where there exist the smallest grounds of suspicion. Readers of the New Zealand Tablet will receive details of other such cases of fraudulent misdescription as occasion may serve.