The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1896-04-14
SING SING SECRETS.
MYSTERIOUS CODES Ely WHICH
CONviCTS COMMUNICATE,
Prison Officials Unable to Detect
How Criminals Battle the Silent
Systematic Fake Fight-ssUn-
foreground {" Telegraphy.
TN the great gray stone strnctrro

w popuihI!Ol OF New York
State. One-half of them are the
product OF New York City. There are
novIces among them, but the atmos-
phere there is so heavily charged with
the knowledge OF experienced crime.
that before they cave the novices
know nearly all the tricks OF the craft.
Silence is supposed to reign supreme
In Sing Sing. A convict is forbidden
to converse with another. If his Inns
move he is Mt once bounced upon by
the watchful guard and placed in soli-
tary confinement.
Yet they do talk, AMI talk often.
too. Bat how they do it is n mystery
which the officials of every large prison
the world over would like to solve. In
Paris and In London, where the disci-
pine, perhaps, is even stricter than in
Sing sing, the convicts have system
o. exchang nS information. Keepers
who have been among convicts many
years have endeavored to discover the
trick, but without result.
Principal Keeper Connaughton has
been employed IN Sing Sing for thirty
years. He went there a young man.
and now his hair is snow white. He
has won the friendship, such as it is.
OF lnnumerable convicts, but great ms
his experience and knowledge are, he
has never been able to fathom their
system OF communication.
Not only do the convicts manage to
exchange news, but they do other
things. For instance, n man who had
been confined for twenty wears, left
the prison on his release whistlinn one
/ OF the latest comic opera airs. How
he managed to piel, up the tune and
retain the notes in his memory would
puzzle n Philadelphia lawyer.
Ii there were q Presidential election
to-day every convict in Sing Sing
would know who was elected the first
thlng tomorrow morning, and lust
now the different States stood. Every
important news event which happens
the world over they know about, vet
10 read newspaper or be caught with
one is serious offense. When n noted
prisoner arrives, like a murderer
doomed to the death chair, every con-
Wet knows all about il before the
clerk has finished taking his pedioree
Yet the convicts are separated in q
dozen large buildings. News travels
incredibly fast there and 60 silently
'hat the vigilance OF the keepers
counts for naught. 1t seems to soak
IN through the stone walls and make
Its presence felt only TO the unfor.
| Inmates.
1t is not due to lack OF vigilance
that the men are able to communicate
with each other. The silent system is
enforced as carefully as it is possible
10 enforce 1t in an institution where
the prisoners are not kept in solitary
confinement. When the men are in
the workshops or in the yards they
are almost constantly under the ewes
OF the guards. They march TO and
from their work in the lock stem. each
squad looking like dirty gray cater.
pillar as it swings across the ward and
each man IN that squad facing the
same way. There is not an instant
when the men are unmatched, and it
is difficult to explain how they ccm-
munlcate. OF course some of the
tricks have heen discovered, but these
are only resorted to when particular
convicts wish to converse.
The fake fight is common trick
Two coIvlcts without word of warn.
ing will spring ut each other like en-
ragged tigers aud clutching one another
around tue neck will role over tho
ground IN u perfect frenzy of race.
Blows and kicks will he dealt with
terrific force, but all the time
valuable words will be exchanged
Genuine fights OF this kind are common
occurrence, and so faithfully are the
fake fights carried ont that it is diff
cult to distinguish the false from the
real. Criminals who we're bitter
enemies IN the outside world often
meet for the FIRST time within The con.
fines of Sing Sing, and when they
como together n fierce, il short, fight
IS bound to come off, That accounts
Tor the number OF genuine fghty.
/ Criminal lawyers, who. perhapg
/ know as much about conyicis AS if
not more than, the prison officials
Themselves, say that they do have n
number OF well recognized codes OF
/ communication. One Of tho best
| known methods Of this kind consists
/ OF series OF raps corresponding TO
/ The Morse tCleRrapbic code. Ifn pris-
oner understands telegrapliy, he may
/ transmit messages to another prisoner
who IS also q telegrapher by rapping
ont the Morse code in his cell, or in
workshop or messroom, without very
much fear Of detection.
In some OF the carelossly construct.
/ cd prisons IL has been discovered thai
the convvicts have used the water
pipe to construct series OF speaking
tubes, and in several cases they have
successfully planned escapes IN this
way.
The tystem by which prisoners com.
/ municate with friends on tho outside
is also a mystery which prison officials
would be glad 20 fathom. In prison
, parlauce, it is known rs the "under.
ground The convicts are allowed to
write home once month, but each
letter is jrst read by the prison chap
Jain. If there is anything improper
in il, the letter is withheld. But the
improper letters never 90 out by way
of the chaplain. The "underground"
system takes care oil them.
Criminals IN Sing Sing have been
known to conduct series OF success
fui crimes nv oouo ,,f 90 Fs,,-. ,..stt