It would be taken for granted that he secreted it for the purpose of making his escape upon the first opportunity that presented itself.
We have in an earlier chapter alluded to “tobacco” being conveyed into prisons. This article does find its way into our convict gaols, and this “noxious weed,” as non-smokers term it, is a constant source of annoyance and trouble.
Smoking is altogether out of the question, one puff from a pipe or cigar would be detected in a moment; none of the prisoners even have the temerity to smoke, but many of them do continue to get tobacco which they chew.
The question is where does it come from? Who brings it into the prison? No one is able to tell; every precaution is taken to prevent such an article finding its way into gaols, but the fact remains that money and tobacco are smuggled in, notwithstanding the strict surveillance exercised by the authorities.
Prisoners will have tobacco, and tobacco cannot be got without money, so that both must be obtained, and the result has been that the more rigorous the inspection the greater the ingenuity required to evade it, and it would be impossible for the convicts to do this without the assistance of the warders. These men are not proof against bribery, as was evident upon the examination of Kurr and Benson.
These astute rogues argued from experience that every man had his price.
Some of our prison warders are beyond the reach of temptation, while others are open to a bribe.
The “pals” or friends of a prisoner soon find out an official who is assailable, and set about “squaring” him—they come “the artful dodge,” as they term it, and arrange with some warder to “sling their friend in quod” some “’bacca.”
But few words are spoken after this arrangement is made. A sign is given to the friend outside that his request has been attended to.
As much as ten shillings, or, in some cases, a sovereign, is known to have been given for the supply of an ounce of “bacca.” It only costs the warder a few pence, the profits arising from the supply of the “contraband” articles are of course enormous.