RELEASED.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume V, Issue 258, 12 April 1878, Page 9

RELEASED.

The Weekly Freeman, London, Friday January 4, says — To-day I had an opportunity of an interview, with Sergeant M'Carthy and John O'Brien to hear from them the story of their release.. Before I describo the men let me tell the story o£ their release. They were set to their work in the ordinary way on Thursday morning — Sergeant M'Carthy in the Tailoring department of the Chatham Prison, and John O'Brien in the carpenter's shop. They had breakfast as usual and went back to work. Sergeant M'Carthy was the first called away —at 9.20 a.m.— when a warder came to him and told him he must come to a separate cell. He went with the warder, and in a few minutes the clerk of the prison entered He began the subject so momentous to the prisoner by asking him in an offhand way, sup- I posmg the Government was inclined to release him what would he do \ —where would he go to live 1 Sergeant M'Carthy replied in effect that he had so little knowledge of anything outside in the world, had so long been separated from his Mends, that he hardly knew ; but for the present all he could say was that if released at any time he would locate himself temporarily in London. Without further information he was dismissed, and the warder ordered to bring the other one. The same formality was gone through with O'Brien7 who also said that if he were released he would go to London. Immediately afterward f? the governor of the prison went to each, and curtly informed them that the Government had ordered their discharge, and W that they would be liberated that afternoon. They were then denuded of their piison clothing and supplied with a suit of clothes each, and having each been supplied with the order of release and its conditions, were photographed. Brought to the clerk's room, they were each asked what were their " marks," meaning bodily marks. M'Carthy replied that his marks were wounds (tlircc) which he had received in the service of the British Empire. O'Brien, asked the same question, replied that he would be known by the marks of the chains he had worn round his legs for six months, and was jocularly reminded by a warder who was glad to get rid of him, apparently, that they would wear out in time. The further information was given to them that they were to receive on their entrance to the railway carriage the sum of £1 19s. 10d. each, and would receive an additional £1 on reporting themselves to a police-office [named] in London. Then they were handed the ticket of leave. A cab awaited them at the prison gates, in which, accompanied by a warder, they were driven to Strood Station, where, let us hope, for ever they bade farewell to the jail. The ticket-of-leavc in O'Brien's case only differs from that of Sergeant M'Carthy in the statement of the offence, which is described as " desertion and mutinous conduct," date of the trial and the sentence, " penal servitude for life." Sergeant M'Carthy bears a singular likeness to Cardinal Manlnug, the same worn, ascetic expression being quite a 9 noticeable in tbc contour. Only forty-four years of age, he looks nearly, if not quite sixty. As for young O'Brien, he is thin, but also looks worn, and both arc cropped so closely as to give the appearance of baldness.