The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-12
now PRISONERS COMMUNICATE.
Ingenious Employed By
Them to Talk to Each other.
London Hospital

1OIlUOu I1OSpltdls
The prisoners make every conceivable
effort to hold intercourse of some kind with
their felloW-culprits. if only to relieve the
silence and solitude-intolerable to persons
of their class. who have not sufficient cul-
tivation of mind to supply them with food
for thought. Knocking on the walls OF
separation between the cells, scratching
sentences on the sides of the baths or 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 officers.
The chapel is perhaps the most favorable
ground for enabling them to let their pres
ence at least be known to acquaintance
who have been incarcerated at an earlier or
later period from themselves. The male
and female prisoners are, of course, ri21dly
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 COM
munications they. specially desire to hold
with the opposite sex. In singing the
hymns they often try to introduce. words
of their own.' or make very peculiar re-
sponses. which can be understood over the
wall.
A male prisoner 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 oppressed by this bronchial mall
ady on more than one occasion, since the
governor informs him that as his
cough is so distressing 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 cnce perfectly COM
plete. On the female side of the partition
a woman permitted to take her infant, born
in prison. to chapel with her, pincheS the
unfortunate mite until its shriIl yells re-
veal her proximity to its father, attentiVeIy
listening through the wall.
Recently the governor of one of our coun-
ty prisons was greatly perpleXed by the
discovery that the female prisoners in his
charge managed in some mysterious man
ner to ascertain the presence of every in
diVidual man on the other side of the i'm
perVious dividing barrier. One of the wom-
EN- inadvertently let drop the fact that she
had recognized her husband whose posi-
ton there must, according to rule, have
been completely unknown to her. None of
the officers could account for an unper-
mitted 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.
Although strictly divided. as we have said.
both the male and female prisoners faced
the altar in their seats. and over il had
been fixed a very large brass cross against
the wall. so highly polished as TO form a
very good mirror. In it's clear surface the
women saw the reflection of every man as
he passed to his place. and had enjoyed the
spectacle with impunity till q 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 bland wall behind it no longer tells
any secrets.