An Extraordinary Correspondence

Feilding Star, Volume VIII, Issue 60, 20 November 1886, Page 3

An Extraordinary Correspondence

A correspondence with hairs was once attempted between a notorious Parisian thief in durance vile and his comrades outside. The prisoner was ■sent a letter from his lover, containing merely a lock of hair wrapped in the leaf of a book. The gaoler did not consider the souvenir important enough Ui be delivered; but in a few days there came a similar enclosure, and jet another. This aroused suspicion, and the governor took the matter in hand. He examined the leaf of the book. It was that of a common novel, 26 lines ou a page. Then he studied the hair, aud noticed the small quantity of the gift. Counting the kairs, he found them of unequal length and 26 iv number, the same us the linus on the page, Struck with the coincidence, he laid the hairs clung the lives of the: page, which they respectively* reached, beginning at the top with the smallest hair. After some trouble, lie fouud tli;it the end of oach hair pointed to a different letter, aud that these letters coinbiued formed a slang sentence, whii-h informed the prisoner that bis friends were on the watch, and that the next time, he left the prison to be examined an attempt would be made to rescue him. The governor laid his plans accordingly. The attempt was made, but the rescuers fell into their own trap.