The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1913-08-21
The Prisoners
Alphabet
How a Girl Learned II and
II Led TO Her Freedom
BY CATHERINE KRONIN


were very ignorant, and it seemed to
me-then "A girl of twenty-that the
first thing TO do to better their condi-
ton was to educate them, for they
were only fitted for "A grade of labor
but little above what was performed
10y beasts of burden. Indeed. they
were treated by the government Off
Gals as cattle. l have seen man 20
into a clamoriug crowd with n stout
whip ana scatter them as he would so
many steers.
My father forbade me TO do anything
for the poor creatures that was not
permitted by the government. know
ing well that by doing so | would get
into trouble. But my sympathes were
so strong that | consented TO teach
clandcstinely. | found it easier 10
teach the children, and ! used back
room in a PEASANTS cottage for school
| had not been long at the work be
fore the secret got out, and one day the
government officials broke into the
room while my school was in session.
and | was caught red handed
] pass over our dreary march 10 ST
IBERIA, for it has nothing To do with my
story. That story begins ON the first
night Of my arrival at the prison at
Kara. | was lying on my cot in my
cell, overcome with that dreadful feel
ing of being locked in and wishing that
death would relieve me from the suffer
ings in prospect for me. do not know
whether ii had seemed bleaker to me
outside or now that | was within the
prison walls. So uncomfortable were my
thoughts that | tried TO turn them to
the home | had left, my father. my
mother and my sisters. But / knew
they were suffering on my account. and
TO think of them gave me no relief,
But dark as the prospect was. deep
as the gloom in which | was plunged.
there came something that turned my
thoughts from my misfOrtuneS. A
heating pipe entered my cell at the
floor and ran perpendicuarly through
the ceiling. Suddenly n sound passed
over the pipe, as when steam is turned
on in n radiator Ii was but one tiny
tick, such rs would be made by the
pipe being struck by metal. II was i'm
mediately followed by another tap.
then a short interval, then third.
Next three taps came together, follow
ed by two.
This was enough to Indicate that the
sounds We're not made by the expan-
sion or contraction of the pipes from
heat or cold, but that some one was
tapping on them. with what did not
know. listened for some time dur
ing which knew that a message was
being transmitted; but, since | did not
know the code, could not interpret it,
When it ended another series of taps
commenced and there was differ
ence I'm the key, indicating that the
later series was produced by differ
ent instrument from the first.
oh, blessed relief - something IN
think about, something to unravel!
Messages were being transmitted
through my room over the heating
pipe. | was at once Interested in read
ing them. Had ! known of the Morse
telegraphic code which did mott
would have surmised that this one was
similar The Morse code is composed
Of dots and flashes. This prison code
was composed of taps and intervals
For instance, one tap might mean the
letter \, two taps Il, two taps and one
after an interval &, one tap and two
after an interval u, and so on.
did not gain knowledge of n sin
gle letter that night, though two per
sons talked over the pipe for some
time. All communication ceased
quarter Of an hour before the last visit
of the guard and recommended a quar-
been made, the persons continuing 10
for half an hour, when
they ceased, giving me the first cue
to their code. The last two divisions
or words-as I took them to be-were
tapped after a short silence. and the
same taps and intervals were repeated
by the person who received them.
I had by this time learned to sep
nrate letter from letter and word from
word These last two words, tapped
and repeated. were composed the first
Of four, the second of five letters.
listened for some time for more. hut |
heard nothing. and IL occurred 10 me
that the words spoken We're intended |
for a closing OF the conversation Just |
MS today persons talking over a tele
phone say "goodby" to each other 20
Indicate that they have nothing more |
10 say Immediately 1t flashed upon
me that the words spoken were good /
by. but the second word of goodhy Is I
" two letters, whereas, rs /
I have said. the second word of the 1
last message was composed Of five.
81 have n! The message was good
night
So ended the first evening OF my pris- !
on NE for. small ms the distraction |
from my troubles was, II was enough |
worn ont as was. 90 bring ON sleep |
7 passed into Inconsistencies. think |
Ing that probably the messages would |
recommepce on the morrow and