And shortly after this our hero bid farewell to his prison associates, and was conducted with several others to the station by two warders.
Two of his companions were bound to London. Men who have been convicted in the metropolis are sent there for discharge. If they are Prisoners’ Aid Society’s men they travel up in convict’s dress, and one or more warders go with them, as the case may be. And, strange to say, a marked difference is made in the treatment of the discharged prisoners.
Those who are convicted in the provinces leave Dartmoor without handcuffs, and with the hands and limbs free, as Peace did on this occasion. Those who have to be taken to London for discharge are manacled and handcuffed, as if fresh caught. Why is this?
No man going up to London for discharge is likely to run away from a warder; he would be a fool if he did, for until he is completely discharged he has no licence, and if he did abscond he would be liable to arrest as a convict at liberty without leave.
All the convicts know this, and it is not at all likely they would infringe the rules when they were within a few hours of liberty.
The handcuffing of a man under such circumstances is quite unnecessary. It is worse than this, being in short an indignity which is at once cruel and useless. So long as he has any time to serve, and there is any inducement for him to run away, chains and fetters are perhaps needful; as a convict in a convict’s dress few would recognise him.
When he goes to London on his discharge journey he has grown his hair, beard, and whiskers.
He travels with other people who are also bound for the metropolis, who, seeing him with the darbies on, know very well that his ornamental bracelets are not the insignia of honour.
The chances are that they may take particular notice of the man, and one may possibly see him at work a week or two afterwards, and view him with repugnance, if not with disgust; anyway they would look upon him as a person to be studiously avoided.
This is hardly fair to the discharged prisoner, who should certainly, upon regaining his liberty, be permitted to have a fair start in life, and every facility should be offered him to return to an honest course.