Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1889-02-09
PRISON LANGUAGE.

aeniteatiarlcs where the rules ARK rigit
md surveillance so close that convic
s never from under tho eye of the gtart
Or taskmastor, says the indianapolis
Journal. No matter to what extreme
the rule prohibiting conversation he
tween conyicts may be enforced they
iiud some means hy which 70 inform
themselves Of what is going on or Wha
|. to occur. But more than this
convict may conceive th'
idea OF escape or revolt, ans
for him 10 communicates ii 10 one he
wishes to have as accompliee is not
difficult. They bring Others into the
plot or plan until twenty or thirty
know it, details for the carrying out OF
which each Is assigned his particular
part, This necessitates thorough eX-
PLANTATION of minute and calls for Il
system of communication for which a
limited use of signs would not answer.
The system, whatever il is, involves,
no doubt an elaboration OF signss, aid
ed whenever chance offers the means
by written communication. The secret
use Of the latter means for expressing
ideas and purposes will not answer for
the completeness OF information con
vices obtain oiwhat takes place in pris-
on walls, for, whether amy thing occurs
in the office or the most distant
part Of tho prison, within fifteen
minutes there is not u convict who
does not know all about it. Pcniten-
tiary officials have tried again ana
again to obtain even clew to the
system, but they are no nearer solu-
ton than when they first began To in
vestigate the matter. They know there
is system, and that il rests on signs,
but whether on those made with fing-
crs, eyes and lips, or the bringing into
play OF other features, or whether il de-
ponds on all together, they do not
know. Prisoners, to curry favor with
the officials, often tell them what they
have learned from other conyicts They
go to the especial trouble at times In
exposing plots, and are ready TO reveal
everything except the means by which
they learned the facts. No convict has
yet given the slightest suggestion
which would lead TO tho discovery Of
the secret that hal defied the shrewdest
detectives. II have seen. said an ex-
prison official, two cunyicts, six feet
apart, facing each other. They did not
utter word, nor could l discern the
slightest movement Of the lips or eyes,
yet | knew they were communicating
something. They gazed at each other
for q moment or two before I had a
chance to interfere, but ! am satisfied
that one told the other all he wished 10
tell
Acknowledgement Kitchener relates
an incident or two showing the perfec-
ton 10 which the conyicts have carried
their system Of conveying information
among themselves. On his first visit
10 Jacksonville 10 look into tic matter
of Jack Towards shOrt-coming ma
Warden Of the Southern prison he was
sitting in the Office Of the prison one
Afternoon, when the Deputy Warden or
some other subordinate asked him h no
lid not wish to go through the shops.
II was something he did not expect 70
10, but, accepting the invitation, they
passed through the inner gates, cross
ing the first cell-rooms, out into the
courtyard and across that directly IN
The shoe factory. They were not three
minutes In going. nor did they stop any
where until they reached the factory.
The Acknowledgement had gone but a
ew feet into the room with the prison
officers when n convict stepped UP. and,
lsking the latter II he could speak 70
he gentleman with him, said. on Der.
mission being given him: lyon ar,
he Attorney-Genoral?"
Yes" was the only reply OF that
,fficer.
Your name is Michenerpr
Yes but how do you know thnts
ave never seen you before
THAT Is true, mr. did | ever SEQ va,
Until now, although / am from Shelby
'ounty. He then went on 60 tell who
10 was. where he lived in the country
md what he had done TO bring him into
no penitentinry. But the convict payo
he AttOrney-General further cause for
Wonder by telling him thnt he knew Of
us reaching tho city the day before.
low many visits he had made to the
'rison, and for what purpose.
Leaving the shoe factory the nttor.
ey-general and prison ofIicer went I'm
0 another room, separated from tho
rst BY an intervening room, and with
either OF which could any person a.
nc third have direct communication
iero Mr.. Kitchener was approached bv |
Mother convict, who told him about |
hat the first had done. except he ask.
d him to see the governor in hia be-
alf Going to the foundry, which "a a |
considerable distance from the sboe
iotory, the third convict came up " |
!