Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1866-01-11

or, arrest you II the KING name y
"What for ?" l demanded @What hayt
Idonew -
Broken the laws" replied the fellow
with infinite GOODNESS, at the same tins
rudely tapping my cigar with his musket
"Broken what law 2"
"The law against smoking
"1s,a gentleman not allowed to smoke in
Prussia %
''Not in the street, SIR" y
f'Well, confound your laws" cried I rath
er sharply. 81 have been constantly an
noyed by some miserable, petty enactment
| ike this, ever since first set foot in thi:
country"
This was not very polite speech for &
! stranger TO make in any country, least o.
| all for man under arrest in this land O
despotigm.
s.Forward march Z" said the sentry, In
dicating with his musket which way wa
| 70 60,
F'Take me to your superior then, and let n1t
settle this matter at once" said I with az
sir, surprising the whole thing would result
! IN 8 pretty round fne. 1854
/ The sentry called the officer Of the guard
who met me, with civil bow. Tr0
ssFined for smoking in the street, sup
pose" / said in a sort Of explanatory way.
The sentry whispered few words in his
ear
"You must pass the night in the guard.
house." said the officer turning to me-
| 'FPshaw !" said / 'syou are only TESTING
come, what is the fne?"
"How long have you been in Prussia 2"
asked the officer
.'AboIt eight months" answered.
'Aud ycu have yet to discover that off,
GERS Of justice in this country are not in the
| habit Of jegting with affairs Of state?''
! Oh, then smoking a cigar in the street is
an affair Of state in Prussia, is it =" said
in an ironicai tone.
The officer frowned and bit his lip, but
| made no reply.
We reached the guard house in silence.
'Surely not in there" said I as my coz
ductor threw open the door Of damp, filthy
cell.
"Entern' was the stern response.
did so, and was left to pass the night
| alone, as best | could.
Early the next morning, was marched
off to the police Office, and found myself
among crowd of miserable wretches who
had been arrested during the night for var
ious crimes, and were now huddled together
here to await examination. As / was the
only well dressed person of the party, and
had been brought here for slight irregu-
larity, naturally expected my turn would
come first.
was mistaken perhaps it was the design
of the authorities was TO humble me still
further At all events, one after another of
my companions in misery were led off and
disposed of until was left alone. was
vexed and at the same time little alarm
ed. Perhaps the whole affair was going to
turn out good deal more serious than l had
considered possible--it had already done so
land might be far from through with it
yet. had committed no crime, it is true
in fact, | had done nothing to merit the dis
grace and punishment | had already re-
ceived. But knew enough of the arbitrary
power of despotism to make me feel not a
little concerned, and to regret in some
measure my hasty and passionate words.
At length | was summoned into small.
narrow room, divided bya bar, behind which
sat a man with one eye, q large scar across
his left check, and whese sardonic express
sion of countenance would certainly have
kept me from selecting him for boon COM
panion. With his one eye, he took quick,
sharp survey of my face, and then in a
squeoking voice, demanded my name.
Orchard Beresford
He turned and fumbled over a pile of pa
pers, and at length drew out one which I
recognized as my passport.
s'Hum! an Englishmanw he muttered
with an expression which showed be had no
liking for the nation.
He then referred to o large book which
lay On his desk beside hirn, and after exam
lining it few minutes, said in the same
squeaking voice
ssThis matter is serious, and must be de-
cided by higher authority"
'And all this grows out Of simply smok-
ing a cigar in the street does it?" said in
tone which betrayed some ofthe irritation
felt.
''You will see sir ~ was the short, surly
rejoinder of the one-eyed funchonary who
held the office of Inspector Of Police.
I could not resist the temptation to reply,
Notwithstanding knew it would no me more
harm than good.
"Well," said I eff am to be kept in
duranee much longer, hope shall be fur
nished with something to eat or allowed to
procure it myself, for l have no desire to be
starved to death for nothing"
TO this the inspector did not even conde-
scend a reply, but taking up printed blank
he filed it out and handed it to my conduct
or or guard, who Immediately tapped me on
the shoulder, and told me to follow him
We left the room by door opposite to the
one by which we entered Hearing step
behind me, looked back and discovered q
soldier with musket, following just one
pace behind me. For the first time really
trembled. All this caution and care meant
| something; perhaps was to be immured in
a dungeon. l had not done anything-but
what of that l was n the power of men
who might deal harshly with me, and what
redress would Ihave-what means ofescape
| from their clutches? | might also die in a
dungeon. Politically speaking, the English
| government was bound to see me have my
rights; but getting redress for. q wrong by
| government interference is a slow process at
best, and | was not in the least consoled by
| thinking of it at the time.
After being led through a long, narrow
passage, was conducted into another small
dingy room, on the door of which was pain t.
/ ed, "DcpGrtment Of Arrests" In this de-
partment were three men, two of them
! writing at desks behind the bar and the
! third, little, grim old man was busily por-
| ing over what seemed to be an official doc
ument. This third parsonage, who was in
reality the great Mogul of the place. did
not deign to lift his eyes from the manu-
script in his hand, or even so much as glance
at my inferior SELF but kept on reading and
/ occasionally making notes for more than an
hour, at the end of which time he GOT M
and went out, and was gone at least two
hours more, | being all the time kept stand