San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-04-25
THE KNOCK ALPHABET.
VARIOUS ACOUSTIC METHODS USED
IN RUSSIAN PRISONS.
How Knocks and Scratches on the Wall
Are Made to Represent Words and
Phrases by Which Prisoners May Hold
Communications.

And now for the "knock language, FOR
"knock alphabet" There is 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-five letters, this
system is tiresOme and inconvenient, and
to facilitate it various acoustic methods
are used A knock at a wall with the end
of finger sounds different from a knock
with a knuckle. A thumb nail causes
another peculiar sound. The sound of the
palm of the hand is different from that
caused by fist. All the finger nails at
once creates a 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, and the sound of bass button or a
penhOlder can also easily be distinguished.
The formation of knock alphabet further
depends on the figures marked on the
wall by the knocks. A straight line
could easily be indicated by two knocks
at different points, triangle by three
knocks, 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 BelgorOd, words
frequently used were expressed by knock
figures as follows: One knock with the
end of the thumb signified yes; several
knocks, repeated quickly one after an
other with the end of the thumb, signified
no; a rectangle indicated by a knuckle,
meant relatives; q square, friends, com
radeS, members of the same party;
straight line, what Russian prisoners
call VOLTA" the outside, free world; two
straight lines, Siberia; a triangle, prison;
bow, which was indicated by rubbing a
brass button at the wall, prisoner; two
parallel lines signified corridor; vertical
line, director; crooked line, warder;
semicircle, mediator; knock at the wall
with the elbow, car, and so on. Several
knocks at the wall with the knuckies was
warning: Don't knock, somebody is
coming" Two slow knocks at the wall
signitied: "Halloo, do you care to speak?'
One knock with the knuckles and one
with the ends of the fingers went for:
"Wait, l am busy" and one knock with
the whole palm signified: "Now, go on, l
am ready to listen" was expressed by
a knock at the wall with the little finger;
you, by knock with the wrist.
Before entering into the minor details
of the knock alphabet as it was in use at
the central prison of Belgorod, few pre-
liminary remarks are deemed necessary.
There are in the Russian alphabet hard
and soft, long and short vowels, so called.
Instead of giving their respective names,
the approximately corresponding English
vowels will be given below for the sake Of
convenience The Russian is pro-
nounced like the English g in get. The
Russian like the French g or ] in ger
maiu or jeunesse.
INGENUITY vs. THE CAR.
The alphabet was composed as follows:
One knock at the wall with the large
finger stood for a, ia, or va; two knocks
with the same finger, e, lie, lou, or ye; one
knock with two fingers, i, lie, Ell, ca, or y;
two knocks with two fingers, o, GA, 10, or
20; one knock with the first finger joints,
90, on, iu, or 700. 1t must be said
that for the sake of quickness the
vowels were left out whenever it was
possible. B or was expressed r. -