Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-08-26
WRITTEN BY PRISONERS.
Sentiments Inscribed on The walls OIL 'ne
General Sessions Court Pens.
CNew York SUM

The inscriptions on the walls or inc
mems I'm Parts I. and III. OF the Court Oh
General Sessions indicate that the erllil-
nails confined there are generally in a
uleditative mood. The pen In 9art III
"a dingv AFFAIR 10 feet square. with
rough benches and heavy wooden walls
The walls are prlmy, and whers not Gov
cred with inscriptions are cut ana hackeu
bv prisoners who managed to conceA
knives In their clothes, notwithstonalis
searches I'm the police stations ana the
tails. Resides the writing, which IS most
" in lead pencil, there are inHuincrapie
crude sketches one shows huge
schooner OF beer with froth howinS over
the top, and evidently represented the
desire Of the artist.
Crooks seem 20 take q pride In writing
their autographs on the walls and leaving
their records for the edihcatlon OF other
criminals. victor Aron and benjamin
Minded have their autographs on the wan
with bur larry, first degree, nine years
ten months. May II, 1s92." following them
4 sketch Of very fat policeman aP-
pears above the autograph Of Thomas
Lally, burgl1r. Jacob Hoffman seems 10
have rejoiced in the alias Of The Hand
Shaker" for he includes II in his auto
graph, and adds: Five years, Slng Sing"
Messrs cody and Murphy convicted OF
assault IN the second degree ana SON
fenced 70 the Eimira Reformatory wrote
their names and destination in half
dozen different places. Philip Cassidy,
burglar informs inmates Of the pen that
he, too. has gone 10 ElmiTa for five years.
Red Rooney IS content with leaving Just
his name, while H. Aienger says lac got
Ito ytts in the pen" which Is inter
prtted aS meaning two years in the peni-
tenhaTy. one criminal wrote District
Attorney Townshend is an actor lie IS
all night"
A prisoner who signed himself Chock
Riley made this remark:
The gods who know it all
VIII see this handwriting on the wall.
Another prisoner with long term in
Sing sing before him wrote: Sing Sing
prison, 5} years. God help us." 4 8lt ID
scrbed this: George Washing ton. %
years 10 months Is days AZ! l hour"
Harry Clarke, 16 years OF age" has =
years from May !. 1894" vgdernesth it,
Another humOrist writes: Jack the Rip
per. months Ia a pie-wagon and Jimmie
the Lush, months in a brewery" The
name "Bif Ellison" with - years" writ
ten after 1t, is in a scrawlng hand. quite
unlike the chrography OF that worthy.
The pen in Part ]. Is lined with sheet
iron. painted dirty yellow. and the in
scriptiOns cannot bs read 50 we'll as those
in the other pen. One prisoner wrote:
IT'S a long lane that has no turn. and
added. My first drunk since Jan, 80,
two fingers and a thumb" which prob
ably refers 10 the amount OF liquor re-
qulred for the effect OF intoxication which
got HIM into trouble. Another was in u
poetic strain when he wrote:
On my prison way | have printed these
words
j had friends.
! was free:
But now they 80
Back on me.
had friends once.
But enemies nov,
We were friends once,
But strangers now.
7 gaze Oh them from dawn in the morn
Ing TIL the shades Of night.
one criminal, apparently not China
man. although he signed himself "ChinS
Wah Lung" makes the following hope
less ofIer
who will get me out Of trouble? Who
ever will l shall some day do them a
good turn. Yours truly"
Grimes. Burglar" - the plain auto
eraph OF that parsonage while Luke Nc
CHuke and Tug Stanton simply inscrlbs
| their names Tom Moseiy, who got -four
years Tor z watch worth So" says: y
Will remember this place as lonS as L
live. ana don't you forget IT.
! French criminal writes: "Nive In belle
France" There is a friendly tip from ono
criminal TO hts fellows in the following;
ANY one who has n chance TO 80 10
! I1nira. don't kick. for he'll get Il d-n
| sight worse"
George Walker writes that he will re-
member this place a. a he'll On earth for
| himself and William Geary"