The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-10-10

that our hapiess countrywoman.. Mrs.
May brick, set the fashion in Working
prison of wearing the skirt long, that
is, with a train. as she was wearing
such when she entered the prison
The dresses served out to the con-
victs are constant sources of annoy
ance TO them, and many an hour Is
spent touching up and altering.
At Millbank. another English prison,
some years since, female convict was
discovered to be in possession OF three
tailow candles. which, il they had not
been missed would no doubt have been
utilized as pomade. Periodically the
hinges OF the cell doors are oiled, and.
strange as IL may seem, convicts have
been detected wiping the oil OF and
putting it on their hair.
One of the women created quite a
sensation among the female convicts
in Woking prison by reason of the bril-
liancy OF the color OF her cheeks and
lips. Many OF her fellow prisoners be-
came most envious, and exercised ev-
cry kind OF Establishment in order to
induce the fortunate one to part with
her secret-but in vain
AT last, one day she became quite
friendly with young convict to whom
she took a fancy, and during the ten
minutes chat female conyiets are al
lowed to converse with each other for
this allotted timel she confided the Sc
cret. 1t was soon all over the prison.
and very soon on most of the cheeks of
the women could be found traces of
color. The paint was obtained in
the following ingenious manner: In
the aprons that the women were wear
ing there was, running through the
pattern, bright-red stripe, and this
was carefully drawn out. When I'M
raveled and chewed in the mouth the
color or dye was released, and thus the
paint was obtained which decorated
their faces and lips.
In the same prison a convict had re-
peated fainting fits without any cause
discoverable by the medical officer
One day she was attacked in chapel,
and, upon her removal TO the infirmary,
she was unGressed, when TO their as
lAAC TIC
fits proceeded from tight-lacing. and
from the effects produced by the pieces
of wood and wire which the convict
had managed to force into her stays in
order to make her waist slender
The prison authorities in their wis
dom have not deemed it necessary to
supply the female convicts with that
ever-ready and indispensable article so
dear to the feminine gender-the hair
pin-but necessity, the mother of in
vention, is ever at work, and the con-
Wet will spend hours in tearing out
bits of wire from the window guard
and afterward bending them into the
required shape.
Leaves from the Bible are often torn
out to make the old-fashioned crack
err" curls, but this practice, if found
out, involves very serious punish
ment.
Even the life" prisoners are not ex-
empt from this desire to make the best
possible appearance, and they will
scheme, plot and plan for months to-
gether in order to become possessed of
a piece of broken window pane in or
der to make a looking-glass.
While out in the exercise yard con-
Wet will rapidly scan the ground in the
hope of coming across n piece of glass.
Once possessed of IL. she will run the
risk of solitary confinement on a bread
and-water diet in order to get it into
her cell A piece of black cloth at the
back of the piece of glass makes an en-
cellent mirror. Here it will be hidden
in all conceivable places. and many
violent woman, ill-favored by nature,
has been known to become subdued
after being able 10 admire her features
by means of the mirror.
Women convictS have been known to
break the windows of their cells, and
hide the largest piece in the bed, thus
the risk of losing marks or a
visit from friends. If discovered, and
the loOking-glass taken away, many of
jacket has to be brought into
use.
1t is nothing uncommon to find
convict, when she writes to her women /
friends, asking TO be informed about /
the latest fashions, and one invariable !
that the prisoner makes to her ;
friends is that when they come TO pay I
her visit they will arrange their hair /
and dress in the latest style.
One convict will start a particular 4
fashion of wearing the bonnet. the 1
lair, or the cap. and, if il meets with 4
approval, viii be Immediately copied |
Dy the other convicts. Providing the |
are well behaved, no notice is .
AIKEN of the alterations, and many a /
-iolent, half-witted woman has been J
'endered tractable by permitting her
o copy some little innovation then 1
making itself fashionable within the /
prison walls.
AMONG THE WITS