Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-04-12
THE KNOCK ALPHABET.
VARIOUS ACOUSTIC METHODS Used
IN RUSSIAN PRISONS.
How Knocks and Scratches Oh tbs wan
Are Made to Represent words sna
m nj

Arc nAA9 70 Repfe0ept WoHOo -
Phrases by Which Prisoner Nay HolA
Communication.
And now for the knock language, FOR
''knock alphabet There IL 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
ut 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 wall with the end
OF finger sounds different from knock
with a knuckle. A thumb nail causes
another peculiar sound. The sound Of the
palm Of the hand il different from that
caused by fist. All the finger nails at
once creates n peculiar sound of their own:
tue knuckles make the knock sound dit
fcrent 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
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
CpuFl tbSIiy DS iUisCdAcu ny tHD huotA5
at different points, triangle by three
knocks, quadrangle by four knocks, and
so on. The time which elapses between
the knocks IL 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
fol nna NTH fI..
end of the thumb signifed yes; several
knocks, repeated quickly one after an
other with the end Of the thumb, sienified
no; rectangle Indicated by knuckle.
meant relatives; Il square, friends, com
rades, members Of the same party: q
straight line. what Russian prisoners
call VOLTA" the outside, free world; two
straight lines. Siberia; "A triangle, prison;
n bow, which was indicated By rubbing Il
brass button at the wall, prisoner; two
parallel lines signilied corridor; a vertical
line, director: crooked line, warder;
semicircle, mediator; knock al the wall
with the elbow, car, and 50 on. Several
knocks ut the wall with the knuekies was
a warming: Don't knock, somebody is
coming" Two slow knocks ut the wall
siynified: "Halloo, do you care to speak,
One knock with the knuckles and one
with the ends Of the fingers went for:
await. am busy, - and one knock with
the whole palm signided: Now, go on, l
AIN ready to listen was expressed by
n 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 Beigorod. few pre-
liminary remarks are deemed necessary.
Thnra "a he Rnsg al nInhn tpf ba r1
aud soft, long and short NOVELS, so called.
Instead of giving their respective names,
the approximately corresponding En- lish
v0wels will be given below for the sake OF
convenience. The Russian is pro-
nOunccd ike the English In get The
Russian like the French z or ] in ger
main or jeunesse.
INGENUITY VS.. THE CAR.
The alphabet was composed "a follows:
One knock Mt the wall with the large
inner stood for n, ia, or va; two knocks
with The same finger, e, lie, lou, or ye; one
knock with two iinLer-. I, ie ei, ea, or y;
two knocks with two fingers O, GA. 10, or
20: one knock with the first finger joints,
90, GU, in, or 700. 1t must be said
that for the sake of quickness the
vowels were left out whenever it was
possible b or p was expressed by one
knock ut the wall with one knuckle,
usually with that of the large finger; or
by two knocks with one knuckle; or
by one knock all knuckles, J or z by one
knock with the thumb and the next finger
put together, | or by two knocks with
the same, m or by one knock with MI
fingers. or sh by two knocks with all
fingers. C. IS, or sh by one knock with the
knuckles and one with the fingers fol-
Ian. - t,,~ hi.
the German CHI by one knock with
knucklc and one with finger. stch or
Stitch was expressed by two quick snaps
at the wall. As to figures such were
easily denoted by corresponding numbers
Of knocks. One knock with the middle
joint OF the large finger, short pause,
five knocks with the same slowly re-
pelted, another pause, and two knocks
with the fist went for |, 800, the list knocks
indicating zeros, and so on.
Az far as quickuees Is concerned. the
above is the most convenient, if not the
simplest, alphabet used in Russian pris-
ons II was not the product Of II sudden
discovery at the prison at Belgorod, but
the II -ut of notifications made grad
uilly in the course of months All sorts
of systems We're tried not excepting the
system uscd by telegraphers, that is,
points and lines; or the SO called figure
system, that is, expressing. for Instance,
the twcntY-h th, twrnt eighth or thirty
third letter of the Russian alphabet by
two and five, two and eight. or three and
three knocks with a pause between. but
they all had to he given up. To make n
line diStinGuishahle it was necessary to
rub some metal. for instance brass but
ton or chain JOINT at the wall but the
sound was too sharp, and the wartlers
could easily hear it. The figure system
was too slow, monotonous and weary.
Besides the walls of the solitary cells of
the Bel Iorod prison w r. of sc!i3. stone
block, and this, peri p-, made the above
system most avail dp Brick or wooden
walls would hay ecessarily required a
somewhat mo- Led system. - Michael
Mdikof in Chicago News.
Lady Chaperons for Lady Tourists.