Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1878-04-04

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''Sorry to detain you. really; very un
pleasant duty but you are wanted on
charge Of assaulting the guard in til,
discharge Of his duty as the train let
Bennington"
Here the official displayed paper, and
his credentials, leaving no doubt he was
one of those policemen in plain clothes
whom Dickens and the English story-tell
ers write about.
Here was dilemma. A stranger il
London, after dark, arrested! Wha
should he Go? He at once explained thai
he was an American tourist that he was
not aware of the law. His wife and he
both strangers. ''Iladn't even been to tLeil
hotel yet. Couldn't it be arranged in the
morning?'
''Oh. certainly. if he would kindly give
his card,'' the official would call at lis ho
tel at eleven tomorrow.
Nc sbolier said than ddne. The Ameri-
can whipped out his card-case. handed
over the bit Of pasteboard to the officer,
who glanced at it, nodded to the cab-driv-
er, who closed the door of the vehicle. and
the party were soon rafting over the Lon
don pavements.
As they whrled along. the first view ct
London by gaslight was forgotten in the
explanation of the affair by the American
to his wife. ''But it's all over now. l
guess said he, '.for, although gave the
fellow my name, didn't give him any ad-
dress, and he won't know here to come,
after ALL
Here again was mistaken guess, for a
second thought might have informed him
that the number of every cab admitted in
the railway station was known; that he
had given his direction to the driver before
being accosted by the officer, and thereby
the latter obtained his address, and that if
the case had been of sufficient importance
the cab could easily have been followed by
another, even if the driver had not been
instructed to notify the officer where he
left his fare.
However, our tourist, feeling somewhat
uneasy, related the affair to an English
friend, whom he met on arriving at the
hotel, who did not relieve his anxiety by
looking grave, shaking his head; and re-
marking that they had best both go to tie
railway managers office.
This they did, and. through tl,@ i.atasven-
ton of personal friend Of one of the
directors. after apologies and explanations,
the American departed, glad to have got
rid, as he supposed, of this unpleasant
ness.
About five days after, having meantime
changed his hotel, our American citizen
had business down in the city, after the
transaction Of which lie had agreed to
meet his wife and frield at Westminster
Hall to view that noted building. Stand
ing near the entrance. and awaiting her
coming; he was astonisEed to observe her
to be accompanied by two gentlemen in
stead OF one. The second was introduced
as person who had called at the hotel to
see the American on private business. He
was a respectable looking individual about
fifty years Of age, dressed in a suit of pep
per and salt. and stepping aside, presented
to the tourist his card. which bore the in
scrintion, MIR. John Lund, Chief of Po-
lice. bennington =..
He was very polite; VAS very sorry he
had a very disagreeablc duty to perform
and he drew out notwithstanding doc
ument, with prodigious formula of Eng
lish expr,ssion. and several staring seals,
which cited the offence our traveller had
committed upon one Of her Majesty's
servants. and summoned the offender to
appear on the following Wednesday tit
was then Saturday, at 1.-The aforesaid
bennington.
81 was coming up to London myself"
said the official, apologetically. ''and
thought would serve this, to make it as
comfortable as possible"
1t was useless for the American to state
that the matter had all been settled by the
railway manager; of this the polite chief of
police knew nothing. The first arrest was
probably at the instance of the officials of
tie railway company in London; but this
was by the police authorities at Leaning
ton. Of which he was chief. The official
would not be satisfied except by visit of
the American and responsible fi-eBd again
to the managers office at the London sta-
ton, where it was arranged that the trav-
eler would appear and answer Oh the fol-
lowing week. if the affair was not settled
before; and the polite chief Of the Leam-
ington police took his departure.
However, the visit to Westminster Hall
was given up for that day, and the Ameri-
can began to wish he had never jumped o..
that railroad train. Supposing all light
now. however, he forgot all abou. it again,
until it was unpleasantly brought to mind
on the following Sunda.y by note sent
him by private han9., from his friend, to a
place where he was spentling the day.
This note informed him that the affair
had qC,re serious look; that the geheral
managers at bennington had beeh mulct-
ed for damages for an accident that occur
red at that point few months since, and
that his jumping upon the train had been
witnessed by twU Of the principal directors,
as well as by cne Ut the local police, and it
was determined to punish any such crim-
inal recklessness, hence the summons, &c.
This the London railway officer had by his
personal influence succeeded in postponing
for few days, but all expense Of thiee
pounds ten shillings had been incurred, and
perhaps it would be best to arrange that
before Mr.. John Lund or another official
came up to London again:
Our American was now getting nervous
and scared. He at once saw his English
friend in London. ahd proceeded to :..ar-
range" the matter as suggested: Then,
returning I'd his hotel, he ordered a cab to
take himself to a railway station; bidding
the landlord good-by as if going to Scot
land. After being landed at the railway