The Grant County herald. (Big Stone City, Grant County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1883, 1880-10-30

sought after, as the men can once IN a
while make little dishes for themselves,
such as they would not otherwise obtain.
There are corvicts who possess more IN
fuence with the officers than would be
imagined, and not lnfrequently they ex-
ercise it in securing position. Gam
bling is carried on to great degree.
The eonvicts do not use cards, as one
would suppose-those are too liable to
detection. They bet on events, changes
in the weather, the time of day, and every
thing OF that character. They also "odd
and even, ""flip, ,"mstch, '"roll, ''throw
for the crack" and the like. Convicts
are not supposed to carry money, but
they do al the same, and sometimes con-
siderable sums. As they are carefully
searched and their clothing taken from
them, the men cannot take money into
the prison with them. They obtain their
money usually from friends who visit
them.
AoNEYED MRN.
They sew their money up in their
clothing, and it is seldom that it is dis
covered. Occasionally man will be
found with $40 or $50 in coins in his
coat collar, or other parts OIL his clothing.
There are pawn-brokers and money lend
ers. The criminal Shylocks are more ex-
acting than the "uncles,, OF the street.
The ccnvicts "put up some trinkets.
which they mostly all have, or pledge
something else to get few dimes or pen
MES. Gambling is the great evil, but it
is the only exciting pastime the cOnvlcts
have. II keeper or guard can he
"bought" the convicts will pay him a
good salary right along to perform SER
vices for them, such as bringing in pa
pers, tobacco and edibles and taking out
letters. Some convicts keep up regu-
lar correspondence with friends outside
The letters pass through "the under
ground, as the officers term it. A convict
prevails upon the foreman of his shop,
who is always an outsider, as there are
many OF them employed in the fine work
in the the prison, to carry out his let
ters and bring back the answer. Thus
letters go in and out. The New
York morning papers reach Auburn at
four o'clock in the afternoon, and the
same evening the convict may be found
reading the news ct the day ION the sly"
in their cells. How the prisoners secure
the newspapers is mystery to many.
The foreman Of the shops, or perhaps the
officers, bring them IN. The convicts
will give great deal for New York pa
pers, and they will have them at any
price. The prisoners keep we'll posted
intelligence any subject that is being
treated in he papers. II there is one
thing more than another that convict
likes to do it is to ''trade.
TRICKS AND TRADE
The men are bartering constantly, and
some become possessed OF considerable
property, watch, however, they must
at all times keep concealed. Not SO very
long ago an enterprlslng convict estab-
lished distillery in the prison and en-
gagged In the manufacture ct liquor. He
excavated beneath stone III the floor OF
the kitchen where he was employed, and
set small tub in the hole With hops
used in making yeast, and corn and bar
ley used in making bread and soup, he
produced potatlon that would lntoxl-
| cate. Drunkenness became quite pre-
alent, and finally the distillery was dis.
covered, and the .moonshiner' was put
in the prison Jail on bread and water.
While he ran the dlstillery he did we'll,
and wonld in short time have been
comparatively wealthy. Beer as It is
called, is made to tins day from bread
crusts, but the makers have to exercise
caution. One man raised a quantity OF
| tomatoes on the window sill OF his shop,
and sold the crop for large sum. Smok-
ing, although strictly prohibited, is in
dulgcd in at night after the men are
'locked A spell ago watch was tax
| Ell from man. The convict carried 1t in
leather bag suspended in his pants leg
by means Of string. The convlcts pin
things inside their clothing to keep them
from the officers, and carry knives and
other implements in their hats and shoes.