Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-07-29
THE KNOCK ALPHABET.
VARIOUS ACOUSTIC METhc DS USED
IN RUSSIAN PRISONS.

How knocks and Scratches on the Wan
Are Made TO Represent Words and
+ Phrases by Which Prisoners May Hold
Communication.
! And now for the knock language, "or
"knock alphabet" There is a multitude
of such alphabets at the various political
prisons of Russia and Siberia, almost
every prison having an alphabet of its
own The simplest system Is: One knock
at the wall signifies a. two knocks b.
three knocks c, etc. But as the Russian
grammar contains thirty-tive letters, this
system is tiresome and inconvenient, and
To facilitate il various acoustic methods
are used. A knock at a wall with the end
OF finger sounds different from a knock
with knuckie. A thumb nail causes
another peculiar sound. The sound OF the
palm of the hand is different from, that
caused by a fist. All the finger nails at
once creates peculiar sound of their own:
the knuckles make the knock sound diff
ferent than the finger ends, or the wrist.
/ or elbow. Again various sounds can be
ELECTED with every or several fingers at
once. aud the sound Of a bass button or n
penholder can also easily be distinguished
The formation OF knock alphabet further
/ depends on the figures marked on tho
wall by the knocks. A straight line
could easily De indicated by two knocks
al different points. a triangle by three
[ knocks. a quadrangle by four knocks, and
so on. The time which elapses between
the knocks is also taken into consideration,
and some knocks often signify whole
words and phrases.
WORDS AND PHRASES
At the central prison of Belcorod, words
frequently used were expressed by knock
figures as follows: One knock with thu
end Of the thumb sicnifed yes; several
knocks. repeated quickly one after an
other with the end az the thumb. signified
no; Il rectangle Indicated by knuckle.
meant relatives: a square, friends COM
rsdes, members Of the same party;
straight line, what Russian prisoners
call VOLTA the outside, free world; two
straight lines, Siberia: a triangle, prison;
q bow, which was Indicated by rubbing
brass button at the wall, prisoner; two
parallel lines signifled corridor; vertical
line, director; a crooked line, warler;
senicircle, meG!i, tor; a knock at the wall
with the elbow, car, and 30 on. Several
knocks at the wall with the knuckies was
'',,7 ~ NJ ~
.as 49, 'ONS =. 'Ne va,
@"'ite" iid.ipo' uo ." cary % sPe"A'
.1 huoNA VI" 'me NJ Ni'S anu Uuo
"rrH Tue ehus % inc n"SeiS went iu,'
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''io ""vie pam wv - ~" l
an ie""! 10 listen, "aS eApI oSS'u ~
N'VoA d, 'Ie van ~" ''o i'''ie ""sei'
!on' oy NiioCN "l'n 'ne WIS
..%I-I,''I me- az H'.''V-
~ VIZ Nii'I .. '''''',, 80 - 80 -, use az
~ N0'''i"' p i'I' % - ~''"'t' ~
triiiii'''i a. - u'-'4S''
iHC'e are III '"e i'U7 an "'i ,"''o' ma,
an! SUI .oiS '','' - ~ es'll'''
itS y. 800
oiie tP loHii Inc. y -.
'o"''' WI 20 i'' '"O o''NO Va
. , ei'i1l ne H ~ l,,
n''.',,' 80 g, - 10
i'us9'''" : N.,e '.' 'e'i''' Vi III ee
--''''' -
INGENUITY IS: THE CAR
The aiph"pet was composed Is follows:
One KNOCK 10 III" wall with the large
hnHer stood Tor a, II, or "a; two knocks
with the same nnter G, ie, lou, or ye; one
Knock with two MIXERS, l. re, ei en-, or y;
two knocks with two gers, o, on, TO- ar
yoi one Aap "i,n the urst hnsef joints,
90, GU ID Ut VOC. 1t must be sad
that Tor tue st-e oil qu1ckuess the
Vo"els were ieiI out whenever u was
possibie- - or p was expressed 10y ono
KNOCK AZ tne ",tu with one khuckIe,
usually WIN that oil the large hhger, or
oy Two KNOCKS WIN one khuckici or
ny one knock an knuckle-, or Z by ono
Knock WIN the thun D ana TIE next niger
put tASe'hrr, or DJ TWO kn'chs WIN
the Saiat' ~ or pF one KNOCK WIN az
myers, or 81 oy wv" kn"ck' WIN all
myers G. t. or ch nS one KNOCK WIN the
khEckIe9 az. one Win the myers ioi-
lo"el qN'"jy one ai'er hu"'Hcf' M or
the GcrmSn On D. one Knock with
knucA anu one win Il huEet' ttch OF
shtch was expressed by Two 1uick snaps
at Inc Wall As 10 ngures. such were
easily denoted ny corresponding numbers
Of KNOCKS. one Knock with the inlddlo
JOINT OF the large hnreT, short pause,
i've knocks with the same slowly re-
peated, another pause, and two knocks
indicating zeros, and 30 on.
AS lar as quickness is concerned the
above IS the most convenient, II not mo