The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1894-11-14
WRITTEN BY PRISONERS.
Sentiments Inscribed on the Walls of the
General Sessions Court Pens.

The inscriptions on the walls of the
pens in Parts I. and Ill. of the Court of
General Sessions indicate that the GRIM
inals confined there are generally in
meditative mood. The pen in part III.
is dingy affair ten feet square, with
rough benches and heavy wooden walls.
The walls are grin1y, and where not
covered with inscriptions are cut and
hacked by prisoners who managed to
conceal knives in their clothes, notwith-
standing searches in the police stations
and the jails. Besides the writing,
which is mostly in lead pencil, there are
1nnumerable crudge sketches. One
shows huge schooner of beer with
froth flowing over the top, and evident
ly representing the desire of the artist
Crooks seem to take pride in writing
their autograph on the walls and leav-
ing their records for the edifcation of
other criminals. Victor Aron and Ben
jamin Minded have their autographs on
the wall with Burglary, first degree,
nine years ten months, May IL, 1892"
following them. A sketch Of q very fat
policeman appears above the autograph
OF Thomas Lally, burglar. Jacob Hoff-
man seems to have rejoiced in the alias
of "The Handshaker" for he includes it
in his autograph, and adds, Five years,
Sing Sing" Messrs.. Cody and Muir
ply, convicted of assault in the second
degree and sentenced to the Elmira Re-
formatory, wrote their names and desti-
nation in half dozen different places.
Philip Cassidy, burglar informs inmates
OF the pen that he, too, has gone to FL
mira for five years. Red Rooney is
content with leaving just his name,
while l.. Menger says he got ito yers in
the pen," which is interpreted as mean
ing two years in the penitentiary. One
criminal wrote, District Attorney
Townsend is an actor. He is all right"
A prisoner who signed himself Chock
Riley made this remark:
The gods who know all
VIII see this handwriting on the wall.
Another prisoner with a long term in
Sing Sing before him wrote: "Sing Sing
prison, 80 years. God help u.s." A wit
inscribed this: George Washington,
SO years 10 months IS days and hour"
Harry Clarke, 16 years of age" has IS
years from May 1, 1894, underneath it.
Another humorist writes: Jack the
Ripper, 6 months in pie wagon, and
Jimmie the Lush, 8 months in a brew
cry" The name "Biff Ellison" with "5
years" written after it is in a scrawling
hand, quite unlike the chirography Of
that worthy.
The pen in part 1. is lined with sheet
iron, painted dirty yellow, and the in
scriptions cannot be read SO well as
those in the other pen. One prisoner
wrote; "It's long lane that has no
turn, and added, my first drunk since
JAM, 80; two fingers and thumb"
which probably refers to the amount of
liquor required for the effect of intoxi-
cation which got him into trouble An
other was in a poetic strain when he
wrote:
On my prison way have written these
had friends, was free,
But now they go back on me.
had friends once, but enemies now,
We were friends once, but strangers now.
gaze on them from dawn in the morning
till the shades Of night.
One criminal, apparently not Chi
naman, although he signed himself
"Ching Wah Lung" makes the follow
ing offer:
Who will get me out of trouble? Whoever
Yours truly.
Grimes, Burglar" is the plain auto
graph of that parsonage, while Luke
McGluke and Tug Stanton simply in
scribe their names. Tom Mosely, who
got -four years for watch worth $1O,"
says: II will remember this place as
long as live, and don't you forget it."
A French criminal writes: "Vive la
belle France" There is friendly tip
from one criminal to his fellows in the
following: anyone one has a chance to
go TO Elmira, don't kick, for he'll get
damn sight worse"
George Walker writes that he will
remember this place as a hell on earth
for himself and William Geary."