The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-16
PRISON NEWS CHANNELS.
MEANS ny WHICH CONVICTS Talk
WITH ONE ANOTHER.

The statement Is often made that convicts
have means OF acquiring and dtrusing intel
llgence quite as mysterious In accuracy ard
rapidity as similar powers possessed by saw
age tribes. However IL may be with this cog
nate illustration. there is really nothing that 10
strange and but little that is surprising in
prison communication.
When convic.s in adjoining coils wish to talk
each one stands at his grated door, close to the
dividing wall. The stone is so ready n con
ductor that the fantest whisper can be heard.
Thus neighbors may talk by the hour with
out attracting any attention. Old convcts.
too. are able to direct the voice, so that one
who Is expert will stand at his grating and
talk TO Il raj on the tier below or above In such
way that the conversation will not be no.
tice1 by any one else.
Should keeper be stealing along the gal.
lery. 1t is the simplest thing in the world to
send warning ahead OF him. The man in
the end cell gives two or three soft rars on the
wall this is re Deated by his neighbor. and so
on and on. with almost the velocity OF sound.
with the result that tho keeper will find the
men whom lie may suspect harmlessly en-
gagged. reading or whiting a ship or doing
on their hunks.
An odd convict always has some scraps Of
paper and stub of pencil. He will write
note. roll II into pellet and so skifully toss 1t
through the bars that it will light directly In
front OF the cell for which it is intended. In
an instant stick with pin fixed In IL will be
thrust out and the note harpooned. II he
wishes To send this scrawl to a nal on the tier
below he will attach it TO n string. give it
throw and q swing and land il flying at Its
destination.
All this implies caution on the part OF the
sender and observation on the part of the re-
h,,N 49, - a
observing to a marked degree. When he Is in
his cell. all day Sunday and evenings from ,
until 9. when the retiring gong sounds, he
stands habitualy at the grating of his cell.
"A pathetic sight" one will say; the moor
man is yearning for liberty" How stupid he
is," another will reflect. why doesn't he
strive to improve his time by studying and
reading?"
In reality. however. the convict is far from
sad and far from idle Nothing can occur in
that long prison hail and escape his notice
though his horizon is q stretch OF white washed
wall only lew feet wider than the narrow
entrance to his cell. Every sound has a mean
ing to him. He knows the creaks OF the diff.
lerent doors. those leading to the dispensary
the hospital. the Office and the kitchen. Let
one Of these omen and shut and he will make a
shrewd guess as to the identity and errand Of
the person passing through. He knows lust
what time IL Is and Just what ought to happen
1t any particular moment. and SO is able to tell
II any commotion is seasonable or not In the
latter case he will set up, examine and discard
hypctheses. until. he arrives pretty nearly at
the true solution. His powers Of deduction
are as acutely developed as those of the blind
and the more rigid the discipline the finer do
they become. There is nothing abnormal
about all this: it is both natural and inevita-
BILE. for otherwise men without intellectual re-
sources would soon become insane. When
the old convict reaches what he deems the
right conclusion he makes haste to enliEhten
his neighbor. Very likely the latter has been
similarly engaged. The two. then. will com
pare mental notes. arguing pro and con until
seminated with greater assurance
Then. 1t must be remembered. that when the
men 9 work Terx ana back % in oG
at this. line winding down the pathway. The
leader has has, his arms folded and his head
way he is sending his boys along. But ali the
others shuttle ahead In hanC-doG fashion. with
you will the set. colorless faces. and you will
detect no motion save slight grind OF the
lower Jaw. You think they are chewing to-
who could beg. borrow or steal a cud, but they
are also talking. each one to the man in front
OF him. talking in breath, which collectively
does not amount to an audible whisper.
:, Now. suppose. as the last man passes you.
to the officer beside you: Il hear you are 60
ing to have Legislative investigating commit
zee come ler do WI up up9 ,h you soGn Ti
man knows this delecabe bit of intelligence
and Is GSoniuring now he may use Il to bis per.
tho line to rass through the shop door.
Then walk through the shop Side BY side
hammering soles. Every where the coorless,
expressionless face bent down: everywhere
the stolid. motonless features. save for the
mCnotonous grinding OF the lower Jaw. And
yet these automatons are taking your meas
ure. and. commenting upon it. too. in terms
far from ilattering. They note the minutest
detail OF your appearance: how closely the bar
bsr has shaved you or how careessIy YOU have
OF the diamond in your shirt front: the proha-
BILE strength Of your watch chain. and the bulge
on your coat which may Indicate the presence
oughy ranvassed under breath. with many an
interesting conjecture as to your name. birth
place. occupation and home.
Such is the diversion which your visit occa.
SionS: but as soon as YOU turn away the usual
wssper mr. Is resgm.d gossinnc nottnG
see. even as you look back from the door, two
OF the lay figures revive, into violence. One
aims a blow with his hammer. The guards
r rish between ana drag TIE men now nilame
sufficient to provoke a murder. have been rass-
ing between these two. in tones az fain. IA an
insects droon, all on account OF the fashion OF
Admitting then, that convicts can freely
communicate. the question naturally arises.
world: The answer that it comes 20 them on
all sides. induced by tho Very human propen-
sity for loQuacity, would. almost lie literally
correct. In other words, III" proportion 0f
loose tongues In prison is about the same as it
IL without the wall, and duty acts merely as u
guard and not as a restraint.
There are many civilians employed in a
prison, such as n head cook, a baker, an sng-
neer, in structOrs in the shops and drivers OF
vans and delivery wagons; and each ~ these
has one or moro convict assistants These
civilians all talk. not designedly. for each one
considers himself a model OF taciturnity and
not Unfortunately. for so indeed they all are
toward the rank and file. But close assocla-
ttnn causes companionship. This one has
helper. whom he knew as boy, "A likely fe..
low. too, II he would only lot drink alone. That
one has taken n fancy to the convict SHIPPING
clerk, perfect gentleman from New York,
who has lots of influential friends. And 80
both talk without realizing it aud talk OF what
they are interested in, the ne VS. of the dav.
The doctor and his student are. OF course,
discreet; professional men are Invariably so
they wouldn't talk to convict except to ask
his symptoms. But when they are together
in the dispensary, Is II not natural for them TO
chat, quite unmindiu Of the uuiet. demure
convict assistant, So deeply engfOssed in com.
pounding prescriptions: SO. 100. when either
OF them happens to be in consultation with the
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