Evening star., 1897-03-20
''Trusting Only You."
HOW PRISONERS COMMUNICATE.
Ingenious Methods Employed
Them to Talk to Each Other

Ingenious Methods Employed by |
Them to Talk to Each Other.
From Hospital.
The prisoners make every conceivable ef-
fort to hold intercourse of some kind with
their fellow-culprits. if only to relieve the
silence and solitude-intolerable to persons i
Of their class, who have not sufficient culti-
walton of mind to supply them with food
for thought. Knocking the walls of
separation between the cells scratching
sentences on the sides Of the baths the
bottoms Of the tins used to contain their
Cruel, and many other devices of that in
adequate nature are instantly detected and
stopped by the officials. The chapel is per-
haps the most favorable ground for en-
abling them to let their presence at least
be known to acquaintances who have been
incarcersted at earlier later period
from themselves. The male and female
prisoners are. of course, rigidiy separated
during the services. A high and strong
wooden partition divides the portion of the
building they respectively occupy, but they
do not allow this serious obstacle to deter
them altogether from the communications
they specially desire to hold with the op-
poste sex. In singing the hymns they
often try to introduce words of their own,
or make very peculiar responses, which can
be understood over the wall. male pris-
cner will be afflicted with an extremely bad
cough, which, in measured attacks makes
known to a lady friend on the other side
that he is lin quod.'' but he is seldom op-
pressed by this bronchial malady on more
than occasion. since the governor in
forms him that, as his cough is SO distress
ing, he is to remain in his CELL and not be
exposed to the air of the chapel until he is
better-a cure for his complaint which is
at once perfectly complete. On the female
side of the partition woman permitted to
take her infant, born in prison, to chapel
with her pinches the unfortunate mite till
its shrin yells reveal her proximity to its
fathe', attentively liste ming through the
wall
Recently the governor of one of
county prisons was greatly perplexed by
the discovery that the female criminals in
his charge managed in some mysterious
manner to ascertain the presence of every
individual man On the ether side Of the inn
pervious dividing barrier. One of the
women inadvertently let drop the fact that
she had recognized her husband whose po-
SitloE there must, according to rule. have
been completely unknown to her. None of
the officers could account for an unpermit-
ted knowledge which was found to be
shared by all the other women. At last a
very careful examination of the chapel
gave an explanation of the mystery. AL
though strictly divided, We have said.
both the male and female prisoners faced
the altar in their seats. and over it had
been fixed very large brass cross against
the WALL 50 highly polished as to form a
women saw the reflection of every man
he passed to his place and had enjoyed the
spectacle with impunity till & wife, much
interested in the appearance of her spouse.
had made an imprudent remark to one of
the officers. which revealed the fact. The
brass cross inStantaneously disappeared,
and the blank wall behind it no longer tells
any secrets