At that moment Peace was being conducted across the vestibule, heavily manacled, and guarded by three warders; so that as soon as the coach came to a standstill he was at the door.
The proceeding seemed to go altogether “against the grain” with him; at one moment he twisted his face as if in pain, then changing to a scowl, he at last flashed his eyes with evident anger as he was ordered to step into the coach.
This he seemed to do with pain, making it appear that the lifting of his legs was indeed a laborious task. When he had sat down within, three warders, armed with cutlasses and revolvers, got in after him, and then the windows being darkened by blinds drawn down, the coach was driven out.
The whole proceedings, which were under the personal direction of Captain Armytage, and were carried out in the presence of a considerable body of the prison officials, did not occupy much over a minute.
In the lane outside the prison scarcely a single person was stirring, so that the coach got clear away up Back-lane and through St. John’s, without any of the general public being any the wiser.
While matters were proceeding at the prison as we have just described, another two horse coach was being quietly walked up Back-lane, and destined to convey an extra body of armed warders to Armley along with those in the first coach.
It was arranged that this second coach should wait at the West Riding Police Depot until the other came up; but as it was thought that its standing in the open street for some time might attract attention it was driven on for some distance further.
When opposite St. John’s Church four warders, who had been sauntering along, got into it, and were driven along in the wake of the convict and his more immediate attendants.
Here another move was made to throw the public off the scent, for instead of keeping the Leeds road, the drivers turned into the Bradford road as soon as they had got out of the town.
Continuing on the route for four or five miles, when they got to the “White Bear Inn,” at Ardsley, they turned into the Leeds and Dewsbury road, by which they arrived at Armley Gaol.