appendix-c-第1章

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APPENDIX　C

The　College　Prison



It　seems　that　the　student　may　break　a　good　many　of　the　public

laws　without　having　to　answer　to　the　public　authorities。　

His　case　must　come　before　the　University　for　trial

and　punishment。　　If　a　policeman　catches　him　in　an　unlawful

act　and　proceeds　to　arrest　him；　the　offender　proclaims　that

he　is　a　student；　and　perhaps　shows　his　matriculation　card；

whereupon　the　officer　asks　for　his　address；　then　goes

his　way；　and　reports　the　matter　at　headquarters。　　If　the

offense　is　one　over　which　the　city　has　no　jurisdiction；

the　authorities　report　the　case　officially　to　the　University；

and　give　themselves　no　further　concern　about　it。　

The　University　court　send　for　the　student；　listen　to

the　evidence；　and　pronounce　judgment。　　The　punishment

usually　inflicted　is　imprisonment　in　the　University　prison。　

As　I　understand　it；　a　student's　case　is　often　tried

without　his　being　present　at　all。　　Then　something

like　this　happens：　A　constable　in　the　service　of　the

University　visits　the　lodgings　of　the　said　student；

knocks；　is　invited　to　come　in；　does　so；　and　says　politely



〃If　you　please；　I　am　here　to　conduct　you　to　prison。〃



〃Ah；〃　says　the　student；　〃I　was　not　expecting　it。　

What　have　I　been　doing？〃



〃Two　weeks　ago　the　public　peace　had　the　honor　to　be

disturbed　by　you。〃



〃It　is　true；　I　had　forgotten　it。　　Very　well：　I　have　been

complained　of；　tried；　and　found　guiltyis　that　it？〃



〃Exactly。　You　are　sentenced　to　two　days'　solitary　confinement

in　the　College　prison；　and　I　am　sent　to　fetch　you。〃



STUDENT。　　〃O；　I　can't　go　today。〃



OFFICER。　　〃If　you　pleasewhy？〃



STUDENT。　　〃Because　I've　got　an　engagement。〃



OFFICER。　　〃Tomorrow；　then；　perhaps？〃



STUDENT。　　〃No；　I　am　going　to　the　opera；　tomorrow。〃



OFFICER。　　〃Could　you　come　Friday？〃



STUDENT。　　（Reflectively。）　〃Let　me　seeFridayFriday。

I　don't　seem　to　have　anything　on　hand　Friday。〃



OFFICER。　　〃Then；　if　you　please；　I　will　expect　you　on　Friday。〃



STUDENT。　　〃All　right；　I'll　come　around　Friday。〃



OFFICER。　　〃Thank　you。　　Good　day；　sir。〃



STUDENT。　　〃Good　day。〃



So　on　Friday　the　student　goes　to　the　prison　of　his

own　accord；　and　is　admitted。　



It　is　questionable　if　the　world's　criminal　history　can

show　a　custom　more　odd　than　this。　　Nobody　knows；　now；

how　it　originated。　　There　have　always　been　many　noblemen

among　the　students；　and　it　is　presumed　that　all　students

are　gentlemen；　in　the　old　times　it　was　usual　to　mar

the　convenience　of　such　folk　as　little　as　possible；

perhaps　this　indulgent　custom　owes　its　origin　to　this。　



One　day　I　was　listening　to　some　conversation　upon　this

subject　when　an　American　student　said　that　for　some　time　he

had　been　under　sentence　for　a　slight　breach　of　the　peace

and　had　promised　the　constable　that　he　would　presently

find　an　unoccupied　day　and　betake　himself　to　prison。　

I　asked　the　young　gentleman　to　do　me　the　kindness　to　go

to　jail　as　soon　as　he　conveniently　could；　so　that　I　might

try　to　get　in　there　and　visit　him；　and　see　what　college

captivity　was　like。　　He　said　he　would　appoint　the　very

first　day　he　could　spare。　



His　confinement　was　to　endure　twenty…four　hours。　　He　shortly

chose　his　day；　and　sent　me　word。　　I　started　immediately。　

When　I　reached　the　University　Place；　I　saw　two　gentlemen

talking　together；　and；　as　they　had　portfolios　under

their　arms；　I　judged　they　were　tutors　or　elderly　students；

so　I　asked　them　in　English　to　show　me　the　college　jail。　

I　had　learned　to　take　it　for　granted　that　anybody　in　Germany

who　knows　anything；　knows　English；　so　I　had　stopped

afflicting　people　with　my　German。　　These　gentlemen　seemed

a　trifle　amusedand　a　trifle　confused；　toobut　one

of　them　said　he　would　walk　around　the　corner　with　me

and　show　me　the　place。　　He　asked　me　why　I　wanted　to　get

in　there；　and　I　said　to　see　a　friendand　for　curiosity。　

He　doubted　if　I　would　be　admitted；　but　volunteered　to　put

in　a　word　or　two　for　me　with　the　custodian。　



He　rang　the　bell；　a　door　opened；　and　we　stepped　into　a　paved

way　and　then　up　into　a　small　living…room；　where　we　were

received　by　a　hearty　and　good…natured　German　woman　of　fifty。　

She　threw　up　her　hands　with　a　surprised　〃ACH　GOTT；

HERR　PROFESSOR！〃　and　exhibited　a　mighty　deference　for　my

new　acquaintance。　　By　the　sparkle　in　her　eye　I　judged

she　was　a　good　deal　amused；　too。　　The　〃Herr　Professor〃

talked　to　her　in　German；　and　I　understood　enough　of　it

to　know　that　he　was　bringing　very　plausible　reasons　to　bear

for　admitting　me。　　They　were　successful。　　So　the　Herr

Professor　received　my　earnest　thanks　and　departed。　

The　old　dame　got　her　keys；　took　me　up　two　or　three　flights

of　stairs；　unlocked　a　door；　and　we　stood　in　the　presence

of　the　criminal。　　Then　she　went　into　a　jolly　and　eager

description　of　all　that　had　occurred　downstairs；　and　what

the　Herr　Professor　had　said；　and　so　forth　and　so　on。　

Plainly；　she　regarded　it　as　quite　a　superior　joke　that　I　had

waylaid　a　Professor　and　employed　him　in　so　odd　a　service。　

But　I　wouldn't　have　done　it　if　I　had　known　he　was　a　Professor；

therefore　my　conscience　was　not　disturbed。　



Now　the　dame　left　us　to　ourselves。　　The　cell　was　not　a　roomy　one；

still　it　was　a　little　larger　than　an　ordinary　prison　cell。　

It　had　a　window　of　good　size；　iron…grated；　a　small　stove；

two　wooden　chairs；　two　oaken　tables；　very　old　and

most　elaborately　carved　with　names；　mottoes；　faces；

armorial　bearings；　etc。the　work　of　several　generations

of　imprisoned　students；　and　a　narrow　wooden　bedstead

with　a　villainous　straw　mattress；　but　no　sheets；　pillows；

blankets；　or　coverletsfor　these　the　student　must　furnish

at　his　own　cost　if　he　wants　them。　　There　was　no　carpet；　of

course。　



The　ceiling　was　completely　covered　with　names；　dates；

and　monograms；　done　with　candle…smoke。　The　walls　were

thickly　covered　with　pictures　and　portraits　（in　profile）；

some　done　with　ink；　some　with　soot；　some　with　a　pencil；

and　some　with　red；　blue；　and　green　chalks；　and　whenever

an　inch　or　two　of　space　had　remained　between　the　pictures；

the　captives　had　written　plaintive　verses；　or　names

and　dates。　　I　do　not　think　I　was　ever　in　a　more　elaborately

frescoed　apartment。　



Against　the　wall　hung　a　placard　containing　the　prison　laws。　

I　made　a　note　of　one　or　two　of　these。　　For　instance：

The　prisoner　must　pay；　for　the　〃privilege〃　of　entering；

a　sum　equivalent　to　20　cents　of　our　money；　for　the　privilege

of　leaving；　when　his　term　had　expired；　20　cents；　for　every

day　spent　in　the　prison；　12　cents；　for　fire　and　light；

12　cents　a　day。　　The　jailer　furnishes　coffee；　mornings；

for　a　small　sum；　dinners　and　suppers　may　be　ordered

from　outside　if　the　prisoner　choosesand　he　is　allowed

to　pay　for　them；　too。　



Here　and　there；　on　the　walls；　appeared　the　names

of　American　students；　and　in　one　place　the　American

arms　and　motto　were　displayed　in　colored　chalks。　



With　the　help　of　my　friend　I　translated　many　of　the　inscriptions。



Some　of　them　were　cheerful；　others　the　reverse。　

I　will　give　the　reader　a　few　specimens：



〃In　my　tenth　semester　（my　best　one）；　I　am　cast　here

through　the　complaints　of　others。　　Let　those　who　follow

me　take　warning。〃



〃III　TAGE　OHNE　GRUND　ANGEBLICH　AUS　NEUGIERDE。〃　Which　is　to　say；

he　had　a　curiosity　to　know　what　prison　life　was　like；

so　he　made　a　breach　in　some　law　and　got　three　days　for　it。　

It　is　more　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　Bismarck27…29；　II；　'74。〃　Which　means　that

Count　Bismarck；　son　of　the　great　statesman；　was　a　prisoner

two　days　in　1874。　



（TRANSLATION。）　〃R。　Diergandtfor　Love4　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。