did you ever know an officer to handcuff a prisoner to his right hand?"

[keannu]

What did he mean by "did you ever know an officer to handcuff a prisoner to his right hand?" The two passengers overheard the two guys ndcuffed to each other on the coach, and one of the guys, Easton seemed marshall, but are the passengers saying Easton is not a marshall but a prisoner too? What did he imply?

Hearts and Hands by O. Henry

"Yes," said Easton, "I must go on to Leavenworth."

The two men sidled down the aisle into the smoker.​

The two passengers in a seat near by had heard most of the conversation. Said one of them: "That marshal's a good sort of chap. Some of these Western fellows are all right."​

"Pretty young to hold an office like that, isn't he?" asked the other.​

"Young!" exclaimed the first speaker, "why--Oh! didn't you catch on? Say--did you ever know an officer to handcuff a prisoner to his right hand?"​

 

[SoothingDave]

The right hand is the primary hand used for people. If I were a lawman and needed to cuff a prisoner to me, I would cuff him to my left hand.