FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   331   332   333   334   335   336   337   338   339   340   341   342   343   344   345   346   347   348   349   350   351   352   353   354   355  
356   357   358   359   360   361   362   363   364   365   366   367   >>  
re than likely that he never had the same curiosity again. (TRANSLATION.) "E. Glinicke, four days for being too eager a spectator of a row." "F. Graf Bismarck--27-29, II, '74." Which means that Count Bismarck, son of the great statesman, was a prisoner two days in 1874. (TRANSLATION.) "R. Diergandt--for Love--4 days." Many people in this world have caught it heavier than for the same indiscretion. This one is terse. I translate: "Four weeks for MISINTERPRETED GALLANTRY." I wish the sufferer had explained a little more fully. A four-week term is a rather serious matter. There were many uncomplimentary references, on the walls, to a certain unpopular dignitary. One sufferer had got three days for not saluting him. Another had "here two days slept and three nights lain awake," on account of this same "Dr. K." In one place was a picture of Dr. K. hanging on a gallows. Here and there, lonesome prisoners had eased the heavy time by altering the records left by predecessors. Leaving the name standing, and the date and length of the captivity, they had erased the description of the misdemeanor, and written in its place, in staring capitals, "FOR THEFT!" or "FOR MURDER!" or some other gaudy crime. In one place, all by itself, stood this blood-curdling word: "Rache!" [1] 1. "Revenge!" There was no name signed, and no date. It was an inscription well calculated to pique curiosity. One would greatly like to know the nature of the wrong that had been done, and what sort of vengeance was wanted, and whether the prisoner ever achieved it or not. But there was no way of finding out these things. Occasionally, a name was followed simply by the remark, "II days, for disturbing the peace," and without comment upon the justice or injustice of the sentence. In one place was a hilarious picture of a student of the green cap corps with a bottle of champagne in each hand; and below was the legend: "These make an evil fate endurable." There were two prison cells, and neither had space left on walls or ceiling for another name or portrait or picture. The inside surfaces of the two doors were completely covered with CARTES DE VISITE of former prisoners, ingeniously let into the wood and protected from dirt and injury by glass. I very much wanted one of the sorry old tables which the prisoners had spent so many years in ornamenting with their pocket-knives, but red tape was in the way. The custodian could not se
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   331   332   333   334   335   336   337   338   339   340   341   342   343   344   345   346   347   348   349   350   351   352   353   354   355  
356   357   358   359   360   361   362   363   364   365   366   367   >>  



Top keywords:

picture

 

prisoners

 

sufferer

 

TRANSLATION

 
curiosity
 

Bismarck

 

wanted

 

prisoner

 
justice
 

inscription


comment
 
calculated
 

hilarious

 

student

 

achieved

 

signed

 

sentence

 

injustice

 

greatly

 

Occasionally


vengeance
 

things

 

finding

 

disturbing

 

simply

 

nature

 
remark
 
legend
 

injury

 
ingeniously

protected

 

tables

 
custodian
 

knives

 

pocket

 
ornamenting
 
VISITE
 

Revenge

 

endurable

 

bottle


champagne

 

prison

 

completely

 
covered
 

CARTES

 
surfaces
 

inside

 

ceiling

 

portrait

 
captivity