pulling and hauling at each other for some time, the women would seem to get the better of their male associates, who would be obliged to run at the top of their speed, followed by the women with brooms or some other weapon of combat. These scenes were enjoyed by the prisoners as much, if not more, than any comedy they had ever seen acted on the stage. Their effect in exciting their emotions to laughter was really beneficial, as there was little in prison life to produce such feelings. The amusements proper of the prison were but few and simple. Most of the prisoners played cards all day long and till roll-call at nine o'clock at night. The favorite game was bluff-poker, and the stakes or chips were one-cent pieces. It was as amusing to a looker on to see with what earnestness and feeling the game was played as it was to the players themselves. For days and weeks in succession, without any other intermission than meals, sleep and Sundays, did the same set play their game of poker, killing both time and their feelings by having their mind occupied in that amusement. What could they have done to keep them from thinking of the outrages to which they had been subjected, were it not for having those cards to amuse them? ever invented them, no matter how much they have been made the means of doing mischief, contributed to the gratification of his fellow beings in no small degree. The writer of this is not a card-player, but he is satisfied from his own observation, that there is amusement in them for the most enlightened and cultivated intellect, as there is for the simplest and most ignorant of mankind. Who Next to poker, the favorite game was muggins, or, as it was called in the prison, Old Capitol. This is not a gambling game, like the other, and though very simple, is nevertheless considerably amusing, if one might judge from the almost continued laughter and disputes of the players. As time wore on for week after week, the prisoners became dull, stupid, and debilitated for want of bodily exercise. Judge Mulkey, of Cairo, Ill., hit upon the happy expedient of exercising his roommates of No. 16, by leading off, once or twice a day, in a march back and forth the room, followed by all his fellow-prisoners, who joined in the chorus of the songs of the Judge, to which the feet of the party kept time. This exercise would sometimes be kept up for an hour at a time, and its beneficial effects were experienced all round. Those who had previously lain in a sort of stupor all day on their beds, felt invigorated and cheerful after a few such exercises as that alluded to. Nor was it the exercise alone that contributed to this salutary effect.The songs of Judge Mulkey were generally of such a ludicrous character that the whole crowd would be convulsed with laughter, not only at the songs, but at the Judge's manner of singing them. One of the favorite songs was "Out of the Wilderness." A sample of two verses will satisfy the reader. My old horse, he came from Jerusalem, He came from Jerusalem, My old horse, he came from Jerusalem, Oh, law gals, bully boys, hay. Oh, ain't you mighty glad you are out of the wilderness, Out of the wilderness, Ain't you mighty glad you are out of the wilderness, He kicked so high they put him in the Museum, They put him in the Musenm, He kicked so high they put him in the Museum, Oh, law gals, &c. The bumble bee he stang the rooster, He stang the rooster, The bumble bee he stang the rooster, Oh, law gals, &c. Not many theatrical scenes could be more ludicrous than that presented by the prisoners of Room No. 16, singing this song and keeping step to the refrain, led off by Judge Mulkey. The Judge, who was the life of the party on such occasions, would be in his shirt sleeves, his hat drawn forward, and his countenance expressive of good humor, using one of his hands to mark time as he sang and moved along. Next after him, generally, was Judge Duff, or Mahony, both the very opposite of their leader in disposition, but enjoying with as much zest as any one, his amusing songs. Indeed, it was as much, and more, for their amusement and that of his fellow-prisoners than for his own, that Judge Mulkey relaxed himself from the dignity of a Judge to the character in which he appeared in No. 16. By his ever-ready disposition to contribute to the amusement of his fellow-prisoners, he endeared himself to them by such ties of feeling as neither distance apart can sever or time destroy. Another song, and a general favorite, was "I have a home up yonder." "The sucker's melody," one of Judge Mulkey's own composition, was the song of all others which brought down the house. This was sung usually after roll call at night, and generally when all were in bed. It was a kind of a winding up of the day's exercises. As the song was composed for the ex clusive use of' No. 16, Old Capitol, publishing it is not permitted. After the Sucker's Melody, which was generally sung in bed, "Old Aunt Rosy" was sung as a hymn, and then all would be silent for the night in No. 16, except when disturbed by the call of the guards by the introduction of a new prisoner, or by, what was frequently the case, being roused out of bed by the attacks of the chinches, as bedbugs are called in the locality of Washington. INTRODUCING A NEW PRISONER. It frequently happened that prisoners were brought in at night. When this was the case, the scene presented to the poor new comer's vision was anything but prepossessing. Let the introduction be into No. 16, for the purpose of giving the reader some idea of the scene presented to the prisoner's view. After passing through the ordeal of an examination of baggage, &c., if one should be permitted to have any, in the "Captain's office," the prisoner is accompanied up stairs to No. 16, by probably a sergeant or corporal of the guard, or by a lieutenant. The door of the room is unlocked by the sentinel or guard, and the light of a candle carried by the officer reveals to the inquisitive eye of the prisoner his future quarters, No. 16, containing say twenty persons. Here to the right as you enter three or four shake-downs on the floor, each one occupied by a sleeper. To the left a little farther on, and with just space enough to walk carefully between the sleepers, are two or three more of the victims of tyranny. On tables in the center of the room are two others. These tables are used in the day time for eating on and playing cards. At are night, a couple of straw ticks are laid on them and two prisoners use them for their beds. Judge Duff and Dr. Ross of Illinois occupied these tables for weeks, as their bedstead. To the left of the tables in a corner, one on the floor and the other on a cot, are two others, Judge Mulkey is the occupant of the cot and Mr. Sheward lies on the floor near him. To the right of the center of the room there are three iron bedsteads occupied by Messrs. Mahony, Ellis and Edgerton. Just beyond are beds on the floor. Every foot almost of the floor is occupied in this way while most of the bunks, of which there are twenty-one in the room, are empty. The officer hunts round and with the aid of Commissary Brown who arrives by this time, or of his assistant Charley, a place is found for the new comer to lie down. Very likely some one wakes up in the confusion made by the intrusion of the new comer, who is at once subjected to such queries as the following: "Stranger, it is the custom of this place to enquire of every new comer his name, place of residence, and what was he sent here for. In accordance with this custom, although you may think the enquiry impertinent, I now ask your name." Stranger gives his name. "Will you now please to tell us where you are from?" Stranger complies. "The next question we have to put, and to which we request an answer, is what have you done, or what are you accused of having done?" This is generally a very difficult question to answer, as not one in a hundred knows what the charge is on which he is arrested. So some explanation is given, and this leads generally to such a conversation between the new comer and the other prisoners as enables the latter to form their opinion of the |