The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-07-19
HANDWRITING IS
FOUND ON THE WALL
Warnings On Shortcomings At
County Jail
NEW SPECIES OF REACHES
Marvellous Tales Are Told of Their
Accomplishment and Activities
In BastiIe - Unique Ex-
periments Conducted.
VIEW SPECIES OF REACHES
BY CHARLES FELL,

which, we are told, means, thou
are weighed In the balance and found
wanting" or words to that effect. True,
the handwriting on the door" is In a
very insignificant place and does not
receive general notice, but 1t Is there,
just the same, with all of it's evident
intended meaning.
Whether or not the application of the
phrase was intended for some per-
son cannot be said, but it is supposed
to have been intended to apply to the
bastile and its "insanitary and I'M
stable condition." and it's unfitness "for
hogs to stay in" to apply the words
of the late state prison inspector, DR..
Shirley Bragg. The discovery of the
inscription yesterday was merely an in
cident and the matter of the mysterious
appearance of the significant words
Is considered to be one of little con-
Germ, so, pending developments, 1t suf-
fees to say that the phrase Is there
to be read by any and all who care to
do so.
And by the way, talking about the
reaches and mosquitoes is assuming
an interesting aspect from several
point of view. The writer is a very
good friend of Jack" Chief Deputy
Browns handsome greyhound. One of
Jacks favorite pastimes is to frolic
with the reaches and chase the mos
quitoes about the prison and he vouches
for what 10 .to+a5
Jack says that since the last re-
marks were made about the reaches
at the jail one of the wardens has
trapped a pair of the finest of the par
ticular species of insects ever held in
captivity, and now has tn EN- chained
in his back yard experimenting with
them.
THE warden informs me- said Jack
yesterday, that he had found the
reaches to be exceptionally fine spec
linens and very intelligent, and I would
not be surprised If they are, possessing,
as they do, that very fancy geological
name, blatta orientalis.' Under the
very favorable conditions of roach life
in the jail land mind you, said roach
life), the insects have assumed the
size of small donkeys. more or less
and I am informed that the particular
warden contemplates the establish
ment of a stock farm for the cultiva-
ton Of these remarkable insects. He
says they simply dote on insect killer
and will eat anything in the world. and
he believes that by giving tn EN- GER
tain attentions they will increase in
size, impossible as it seems. He says
that If plans pan out he will be able
to furnish the world with fine plow-
reaches at 6 cents a piece. 1 do not
consider this dream, in fact I con-
graduate the warden upon the idea
Those roach fellows are awfully strong
and lots of times I have the hardest
sort of job downing them when they
get rough while we are playing.
by the way you haven't heard of
the excitement, have you? Well, I'll
tell you. The other night quite a lot
of disturbance occurred in the jail and
by the way of the noise created an
interesting discovery came to light, dim
as 1t is in the prison. There is no
telling when those fellows will de-
clare mutiny in the Jail and it might
be hard for the authorities to down
them, but hereafter they will be
watched closely because of the discov-
cry of several nights ago.
'F'ollowing the great tumult within the
prison walls an investigation was made.
I was boarding there for the night and
helped to look into the matter 1t was
found that the reaches had declared mar
tial law inside and that they had estab-
lished a patrol with thoroughly organ
lied and disciplined force. 1t seems that
the curfew law is being enforced and the
rule being observed by all good county
Jail reaches is that every insect must be
in somebody's bed by daybreak. The roach
sentries patrol the corridors diligently be-
ginning at daybreak and continuing until
sunrise.
''It seems, however, that one citizen of
Rockville could not Sleep and in the
midst of his restlessness he took long
chance. 1t is charged that he bribed one
OF the patrolmen with three cornbread
crumbs to let him out of the lines, and
having done 90 he proceeded to the store
room to get him drink of the blind tiger
whisky kept there. From all indications
Mr.. Roach took too much, and in his
ribulous condition he attempted to pass
the wrong sentry on his way back to the
bed which he was sharing with one of
the prisoners. A fight ensued, and the Of
flcer roach tried to shoot the drunk"
In self-defense, but his carbine snapped
and the intoxicated one escaped.
Roach's mysterious disappearance was
brought to a sad conclusion when his dead
body was found In the Jail yard. 1t is not
known whether he had delirium tremens
as the result of drinking the mean tiger
whisky and jumped to his death from
an upper window, whether he was trying
to escape or whether some one stepped on
him and killed him. The matter is be-
ing Investigated.
There is Just one other little thing,
and then I will have told you all tho
news I have heard. My friend. Dutch
1.-THE alarm signal was given and 1900
roach sentr1es rushed to the scene. The
news of the violation of the law was
quickly passed among them and every
nook and Granny In the place was
searched for the law-brealxer. The 'Zoon-
err mosquito reserves, several thousand
strong, were called out, but they only
made a lot Of their customary noise and
did nothing, and consequently the ineb-
riate escaped for good. The affair caused
much excitement among the insects.
yesterday morning the affair of Mr..
Kennedy, one of the inside wardens, Is
conducting very interesting course of
scientific research. Dutch Is thinking
about building an airship, but as he has
no idea his plans will succeed I am sure
he won't mind my telling you. He has
seven 3-day -old mosquitoes tied up in the
'doghouse' land they are certainly healthy
looking rascals, four inches from tip to
tip of the wings). and through them he is
sf,idvinp TIE science of hying [ don't