Tombstone epitaph., 1891-01-25
TIE KNOCK ALPHABET.
VARIOUS ACOUSTIC METHODS UsEc
 lF' RUSSIAN PRISONS.


 How Rnseks sBd serasshss ca ths Wan Ar. Made Co RePrsseBt Words and Phrases ey Which Prisoners sEzy Hoasl Colnsaas,Ioation-
 And now for the s'kneek language, ''os sskpock alphabetn n There Is a multitude sf such aiphabets at the various polltlesi arisons of Russia and Siberia, almost every prison having an alphabet of it's own. The simplest system is; One knock At the wall signifies a, two knocks D, three knocks c, ete. But ss the Russian gfamuar contains thirty-five letters, this system is tiresome and incouventeut, aud 70 faeiiitate # various acoastle methods are used A knock ai wall with the end 0f a flaser sonuds different from a knoeA witb 6 knuckls. 4 thumb nall causes another peculiar sound. The sound of the palm of tbs hand is different from that eaused by Q tist. All the finger nails at once creates a peculiar sound of their own the kRuckies make the knock sound diff ferent than the finger ends, or the wrist. or elbow. Again various sounds can bS elieited with every or several fingers d once, and the sound of a bass button or g psahoiter can also easily be distinguished The fOFmationof a knock aiPhabet further depends on the figures marked on the wall by the knocks. A straight line could easily be indicated by two knocks al different points, 6 triangle by three knocks, quadrangle by foHr 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 PBRAsssL
 At the central prison of BelgOrod, words frequently used were expressed by knock figures as follows; One knock with the end of the thumb stgaitaed yes; several knprks, repeated quickly one after an ether with the end of the thumb, siguitled Co; q rectangle indicated by a Enuekle meant relatives; a square, friends, com rades. membcrs Ot the same party; q straight line, what Russian prisoner call ''yolia,'' the outside, free world; two straight lines. Siberia; a triangle, prison. bow, which was indicated by rubbing z brass button Rt the wall, prisoner; two parallel tiuss slsuified corridor; a vertical line. director; crooked line, wander; . semisircle, mediatoT; knock st the val with Che elbow, ezHr, md so on Several knocks st the wall with the kHuckies wal a warning: "DoR't knock, somebody if comingF' Two slow knocks aE the wal siguified: -iHalloc do you care to speakT One knock with the kuaekles and ont with the ends of the fingers went for s'Wait, am busy, '' and one knock witl Ehe whole palm siSnihesl: ''NoSg, go On, am ready ;o listea." I was expressed D. knock at the wall with the lffsls finger you, by knock with the wrist
 Before entering into the minor detail of the knock slpiiahet as it was in use & sha central prison of ielgoFud, . few pre-
 
 There arc in The RusslRa slphabet hare and soft, long and short yoyels, SC called Instead of giving their respective names the approximately z"rreSpouding Engltsk F9Feis will be given below for tAe sake O, convenience. The Russian is pro Rourced like the English in get. The Fsu sian ] like Ibe French or ] ia ger main or ia0nesse.
 INGENUITY Ys TIE CAR
 The alphabet was som posed as follows One knock at the wall with the larcs finger stood for a, "a, or ya; two kzocEi sgttl lils same tnge3 e, ie, ion, or ", Out knock with two fingers, !, ie, ei e, Ov ' two knocks vish two iingers, 0, oa, io, ol 70; one knock with the first fazgsr iBints, %, aH, iU, or 700 1t must lse sait that for the sake of qulckHess ths vaestls were left cut whenever it wfl possible. B OF was expressed by on. knock at the wall with cue kn1ckla usually with that of the urge anSrr; nI by two knocks with one kuueklci s oI k by one knock all knuckies, or bT oRt knock Sitfi the thumb and tbe next anse put together, l or T by tsyo knocks will . the same, m or n by one knock with al fingers, or sh by two knocks with al |. fingers, c, a, or eh t5y ons knock wish thi knnek ses and one vita the fingers, fol lowed quickly one after aH1i hsFi kh O the German oh b. one knock witb kaylEass and one with il finger. sseh O s.IscR Tss expressed 5y tss0 anick snap nt .he wall. As to ngures, such wer easily dencsed by corresponding number bf knocks. One knock with the middl joint of the large finger, short pause I've knocks with tue same slowly Te pe1sed, another pause. and two knock vita t;ie fist went for l, 5li9, the fist knock indicstiHg zeros, and SO on.
 As fir as qniekness is concerned, fh above is the most convenient, if nos th simple <, alphabet used iR Russian pris ons It was not the product of suddei 6iseoFcrY at the prison at Belgoroas bti t.le result cf notifications made grad uaily ia fhe course ot moaths- All sort of systems were tried, not excepting th system used by telegrsghers, thnt .s points sssl .isss; or the so called figur tystetl, that k. expressing. for instance tisa tWclfty Eftli, twenty eighth or thirty tiirsi letter os tha Russian alphabet b fpEo and five, two aFd eight, or three an IT three kaseks, with a pause between, bu they ali had to be given up. To make lire iuZuishGbie it was necessary [ Pais some metal for ipsta9ee 8 brass but ton or e.EiiH joint, at the wall, bus tn R0ur5i was tUo shHrp, and the wariel eoual easiiy hear it. The figure syssel Bas leo slow, moa0toDous and wear, Be idcs. tfe vElls of tlle solitary cells ( ste Beizorod prison were of solid sson slseks. and this, f,srhsps, mads tes abos system most avaGiai1e. Brick or Eoode waIls would have necessarily required somewhat modified system = Aiebai