The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-09-13

er. Just picture to your mind what she would
think of you, could she see you in this dsgraceful
| position J"
"Ow-w-w-w!r Hr
"Wll you promise never to swear again as long
as you are here. IL let you go back TO your cel,
or course the fearful penitent promised most
solemDly, and presently too eager in his anxiety
to change the dark cell for q comparatively light
one TO adjust his hsbiliments, came slouching be-
hind Us slipshod over the asphalte floor with the
collar of his jacket still shrouding his ears, and
his trousers clutched up on either side by the
waisfband.
The Anti. Tobacco Society might discover
amongst the inmates Of jails many apt ilIustrs-
tons Of the truth of their peculiar arguments.
Nothing Is more common when youthful captive
is questioned as to the origin fhis falling swayfrom
the path OF recntnde than for him to stributet TO
" the short pipe" or to dad company and smok-
ing and that" or TO "going out Of evenings and
buying cigars" One lad at present incarcerated
in Holloway Prison was possessed of such raw
ening mania for the pernicious weed, that, aided
by an0tber boy, be stole five hundred and fifty
cigars. Prisoners will run almost any risk for a
chew or Whit Of tobacco. II is known that at
Portland the convicts, having obtained through
the agency of a free laborer" in the stone quar-
rles piece OF tobacco and pipe, had method
Of oisposing OF II as ingenious almost as II was
disgusting. As must be mentioned, smoking was
strictly prohibited, very serious penalties being 10
store for any one who assisted prisoner 10 the
coveted luxury. The only time when the perilous
NehkHt Dc ln0ulReu IN was WneQ IN tAe
course OF the days work q sudden shower came
on, snd the convicts, knocking Of ~ for the time,
huddled IN q shed out of the rain. Then the
envied shareholders In the fourth of a quarter of
an ounce OF cayendish sat in a circle the chuck"
or head man, with the pipe 10 one corner of his
mouth. and 10 the other a straw, the other end of
which was grssped within the lips of the ne xt man
OF the circle, who likewise had second straw in
his mouth, the further end Of which the third man
sucked at, and SO ON till the number was COM
nj lfOh he hurlr
draueht Of smoke through it at one corner Of his
mouth. enjoyed il for a moment, and then blew il
through the straw at the other corner of his mouth
into that Of his next neighbor, and 80 It passed
through. the last man having the envied priyi-
lege Of swallowing the mouthfui IN considers.
ton of his being at 80 great a loss in couse-
quence Of the deterioration in the flavor Of the
smoke in the course of its transit. At the
House Of Detention the friends of the prisoners have
conveyed them pipe and pipelgh and tobacco
in the interior of a loaf (on one occasion a cigar
and lucifer match were found neatly wrapped
together in the interior Of roast foul,) and the
desperate smoker has been discovered atop Of q
platform consisting OF his table and bis Bible and
his pannikin, clingiDg tiptoe to the bars of ven
tl8tor by the ceiling, and blowing q difficult
cloud through its narrow interstices.
II is not so easy, however, to convey tobacco to
aprisoner IN close prison, such as that at Hal
loway. But it has been attempted. At stated
times prisoners friends may pay him visit.
The interview, however, is hampered by certain
restrictions On either side of the passage about
five feet in width is cage Of open wire work,
and conveniently disposed between the cages are
screens behind which warder may be lurking,
listening TO the conversation that is going on so
as to check il at once should IT take a vague or
improper turn. One day, in the course Of inno-
cent discourse between q prisoner and a male
friend, the warders watchful eye detected a
feather floating over from one cage TO the other,
end, arIesting 1t midway, found at the stem of il
length Of fine silk and at the end of the thread 10
the visitors hand, nice little plug of pgtai for
" chawing." Had the feather settled in the com.
partmeut where the prisoner was nothing would
be easier than for him TO give dexterous jerk at
the silk, and land the plug on his own side.
The miscarriage OF the neat little plot meant
severe punishment for the would-be receiver, and
months hard labor for the obliging supper;
and the fact its being about fifty TO one against
the trick successfully passing shows how terrible
must be the penalty of deprivation from tobacco
10 an old smoker.