The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-07-24
A VeDtriIOUuist's Tricks
HOW AN OMAHA PRISONER sORELY PUZZLED
HIS JAILER AND HIS COMPANIONS.
(Omaha Bee


For some time past there have been
strange doings at the Jail, which have
given the impression that the place must
soner would hear his name called by some
one outside of the jail, and going TO the
nearest window would in the darkness
carry on conversation with some friend
or relative, who failed TO materialiZe,
however. A short time ago man
who was put in Jail for assaulting his
brother-in-law with razor and cutting his
throat badly, heard some one calling him
at the window. lie got out Of his bunk,
and, feeling his way to the window, asked
the name OF the visitor. Tie name was
given, and proved to be that OF an Irish
friend who had taken this way OF holding
a little chat with him. The voice could not
be mistaken, and the prisoner had no sus-
pcion OF there being anything mysterious
about the matter or anything wrong. The
visitor in bidding him goodbye told him
| that he had left some tobacco for him
with the iailer. In the mean time Jiler
Schontz hearing the voices, stayed outside
to see who was there, and though he could
hear the talk could discover no one. The
next day the prisoner insisted on the iailcr
/ ElNltlS nun tHC iObuNNO W Hltil uiS lIltitl
had left for HIM, and was quite indignant
when told that his. friend had left none.
The same sort OF an occurrence was
repeated with other prisoners. The col
ored boy who was lately imprisoned
for stealing q watch was called for the
other night by some one outside, and on
going to the window held quite CONVERSE
ton with a cOlOred friend of bis, in which
he talked over his case quite freely; but
Jailer Schontz could not discover any one.
The col0red boy the next day was equally
earnest in demanding the package Of Smok-
ing tobacco his friend had left with the
jaler; but of course the iaileY had no such
package. In none OF these cases could
Jaier SchontZ discover that any one had
been around the outside Of the jail.
The puZZling matter has now been
Strengthened out and its mystery solved.
The young man Fred Hill, confined in iail
on the charge Of being a confidence-man,
seems to be at the bottom OF the whole ai-
Iair and the cause OF the manifestations.
lie Is remarkable mimic, and needs
only TO hear mans voice once to be
aDie 10 duplicate it. He is also Il good deal
OF Ventriloquist, and these two features
OF his own vocal ability, aided by the pecu-
iiar construction OF the Jail and the location
OF his cell, have enabled him at night TO
throw his voice outside, so that il appears
to prisoners on the south side of the Jail as
II there was some one at the window call.
ing them. He has used his ventroloquism
for much amusement, and by learning a
prisoners name and something of his his
tory by the prisoners mingling during the
daytime has been well informed for mid
night chat with them, impersonating some
friend or relative. TO add to his enjoy-
ment, he has invariably added the 'to-
bacco postscript at the close OF the con-
versation, thus causing the prisoners to
bother Jailer Schontz by insisting ON hav-
ing what their friends have left for them.
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