The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-06-15
SERVE LIKE CoNVICTS.
OFFICIAL SPIES N ESGLASD's
GREAT PRISON.
They Get Biz Pay. Bat the Work Is
Observation-Disclosures Plots Are De-
teefed.


/ cases eevoIves on rls governor. and so
T perfect Is the Discipline and the code Of
Z rules that be has sel39n 70 ask any higher
authority o. assizral-s- B-t ~ times
there arise cases which bae1e all his pow
. er q discernmenL HIS star may - an
excellent BODY OF men, true and stanch 10
their arduous duties. but Il every f9-k
there IS a black shser and there Is 10 ez-
. Cspti0l 20 the rule here.
L IS very difficult 20 introduce tobacco
spirits or food into prison. and although
q Is sometimes done. yet the hrsacl @
rules IS almost invar-ab-y detected, 1-r
secret correspondzrce between prisoners
and their friends. carried on by means o.
prison officials. occurs far ofteler. and
gives FAR more trouble. as innocent per
sons are suspected. and the whole working
gear q the prison put out Of order
or else there may be a plot Matching
among the prisoners. Of which some de-
tails have come 10 the governors ears.
not being able 70 unravel IT. he applies toF
outside help.
II is now that the services OF the secret
staE are called in. This body OF which
was a member for many years. and from
which I have retired, requires some de-
scriDuol. Il Is seldom hear o.. Is Etue
known. and now for the nrst time has
anything about e appeared in print u Is
composed Of a number Of O1flcers holding
the rank and receiving the pay Of prin-
cipal war1eTs. and r1eir duties are 70 as
sumo the role OF convict in any prison
In which their services may be required.
Generally the governor is aware or the
mans presence; but on special occasions
he comes and goes without q soul IN the
prison suspecting his visits. he mas %
labor. and undergo the same puuishmsnts
as. the other men, for any indulgence
shown him would -nfallibly ra-se sus-
I joined the stan under the following
circumstances: ! had just left the army,
and I applied IN the usual manner az me
various government departments Tor en-
pl1Fmer-t and. not hearing any thing TOT
months, I came up 20 London, determin-
I'd % see what personal application
I called one day al the prison commits
stoners Office and received the usual an
swer that I would be written 10 when my
crestfauen when I was recalled, taken
into q private room and asked II / would
undertake the duties 4 one Of the secret
stan for time. ! had spent -FOUR months
in idleuess, and gladly accepted the oner:
When the difnculues and hardsnps OF
the work had been explained 10 me l
was told 10 attend az a London prison az
8 p. m. on the following evening ana De
prepared for q three weeks stay:
Punctual TO the time I reported myself,
and was taken into a room, my hAlI
cropped, my clothes taken ana a convict s
suit given me with some trepiiatlon /
was ushered into the presence OF the gov
ernor, and then only was the duly re-
quired OF me detailed.
II appeared that unlawful correspond
ence was being continually carried on N
the prison, but the culprit could not Ds
discovered. Twice the secret stan nad
been sent down, and each time Ialled 70
unmask the offender. II had oeen re
solved. therefore, TO send down a perfect
ly green hand; hence their selection o.
me. ] was to play the role OF a man wno
had stolen a large amount OF na "a c9 sta
and hidden IT, and was anxious tnat MS
| friends should know the whereabouts OF
/ the hiding place. 49,, a.
| Stepney, where my supposed lrlends re
/ sided, as also the number OF llzs, when
would at any time disclose my ldelt4ty
wished me success, ana tolchea a osii 81, oil
the table A warder entered, marcned me
out. led me through a long cofrldor' open
ed a cell door, and motiOned me 10 enter.
I attempted TO speak, but was stormy Of
! dered 10 keep silence. The door was CLOS
ed and I was virtually a prisoner.
| Ny heart sank within me, ana men lally
/ reviled myself for undertaking sucn a ous-
| mess. / do not intend in this paper giving
/ any more details Of prison lie tnan are
| necessary to make my narratEe gear.
/ Suffice It to say that | WHent through the
The next day sounded the waTdeI
/ placed over me, but he sternly represseo
any talking TO him on my part Inen
| whilst on the works, a day or two after
| ward, / got reported for attempting tC
| enter into familiar conversation" and
got a caution" from the deputy COVER
| nor The next time I was not so fortunate
| A principal warder remarked on the DIS.
| tered state of my hands, and / replied
| that l had plenty Of money OUTSIDE ina
! would keep me from working II l coule
| only get at it. For TINS was run in,
! and lost my supper.
A week passed; it seemed years. I could
discover nothing. However, my chance
came sooner than I expected. but can
not explain in this article how hit upoT
| the offender whom / had been told on Z
! discover. All ! need say is that L FOUND
| him, and gave him the address Of my sup
| posed friends. Outside, with such tempting
! offers of reward that he actually obtained
! leave, went there, was received in man
| ner he little expected. He no longer holdi
an appointment in any of II. NJ. > $ prisons
Immediately afterward / reported the cas-
10 the governor and / received orders 10
| a transfer" I arrived IN London, changes
my clothes, received the congratulation'
of the head OF the department on my sue
cess, and went out in the streets fire.
man, firmly resolved that nothing SHOULD
again tempt me to undergo similar or
The next day I recanted. True, tn
work was dlstasteful; but l had been EN-
( inently successful in my first venture
The pay was good I had an offer of
permanency, and holidays at the rate o
| three months a year were allowed.
closed with the offer, and then betool
me to my country home for three month
AT the end of this time I received
wire from headquarters commanding m
to report myself at a certain westerl
| prison.
On my arrival here I had an interview
with the governor, who informed me tina
a serious plot was being Matched in tn
| prison, and that an alarming outbreal
was expected. RumorS of the plot h
had heard, but the true details had no
been discovered.
Disguised as a convict as before, / wen
steadily at work to discover the mischief
and labored at various times in the dig
ging, stone-breaking and bone-crushin
squads.
At last I found out the trouble lay i
the quarry party. and to this party, Q
| course, l was sent.
Soon I discovered the outlines of tn
plot, and what was causing the delay /
| carrying il out. The party while at wor
had only a certain number of Jumpers,
crowbars and other tools served out [
them, the remainder being locked in
shed under the care of an armed warde1
Here I may remark that each prison ha
its peculiarities, the one of which l al
writing being looseness in checking cor
versation. 1 gave out to the other cor
Victs that 1 was a maker of ''twirls''-
I, i. e., keys-and could pick any ordinar
lock with ease and volunteered to e1