THE ARCHIVES OF JAPANESE CARTOON HISTORY
The telegraph, which was developed first, was mainly used between police stations but in Hokkaido, the telephone was developed to connect the police, prisons and places holding prisoners. Between 1881 and 1891 (Meiji 24 to 34), many correctional facilities were set up in Hokkaido and prisoners were dispatched for mining and public works. The main use of the telephone was in escorting prisoners and issuing urgent orders to search for fugitives.