Little Falls transcript., 1879-09-18
confess ! should be sorry if anything un-
pleasant happened to Lord Keynsole's g

confess / should be sorry if anything un
family" s 115*'ss ''1<. :'.7'' =
Mr.. Pottridge was not in very goo,
humor, when he went to bed that night
A magistrate himself, he knew wha
shifts are often made to withdraw well
connected offenders from justice, and s.
tar as he was concerned he would hav
cared little had an appeal been made t
HIM. ad naisericordiu,aa, to acknowledg
that he had, perhaps been mistaken il
fancylng that he saw Mrs. PIX. pocke
some lace and handkerchiefs. But MI
Pottridge could not bear to be pooh
phoed at or threatened with unp,easan
consequences if he did bis duty. He wa
an alderman, grocer with blameles
conscience, and he feared no man. Feel
ing that his character for veracity ant
common sense were at stake be resolved
to give his evidence against the wife O
Lord Keynsole's cousin with no moro hest
tation than if he were the commones
jail bird.
From that date, however, things be-
gan to 60 wrong somehow with Mr.. Pot
fridge. It seemed as though his long
luck had forsaken him. On the morrow
of his adventure in London, Mr.. Chuck.
leworth, who was Lord Keynsole's legal
adviser, passed him in the street with.
out nodding, and later in the day Mrs
c. sent stiff note begging that Mr.
Pottridge would send in his bill, and in
timating that she would henceforth
purchase her groceries at another house.
Now the Chuckleworths had ALWAYS been
excellent customers of Mr.. Pottridge.
This was bad enough, but worse was
TO follow. Next day some inspectors of
weights aud measures arrived at the
.alderman's shop and found a piece of
lard sticking under the scales. They
declared they should make report of
the fact. Scarcely had they gone, leav-
ing the grocer speechless with confusion,
then two well-dressed strangers entered
and bought some tea, brown sugar,
cocoa, pepper and a pot OF mustard,
after which they stated that they were
public analysts, who were going to ex-
anime the quality Of these goods. They
examined them, in truth, so fast, that two
days later Mr.. Pottridge received a sum-
mons to answer charge of putting birch
twlgs in his tea, sand in his sugar, tur-
meric in his mustard, clay in his coaoa,
etc. Mr.. Pottridge shrugged his should
ers, at first taking it for granted that the
charges would be dismissed by his broth
er magistrates, Messers Dott, Bungs and
company, but before the case came on for
hearing, it fortuitiously transpired that
Mr.. Pottridge had been up to London
interviewing Lord Beaconsheld for the
purpose we know, and this made the 9TH
er alderman furious. Mr.. Bungs, the
brewer, was particularly angry, and de-
clared that Mr. Pottridge was traitor,
insomuch as the poor grocer, instead of
having friendly bench to jud ge him,
found very stern one.
II am sorry for you, Mr.. Pottridge,"
said Mr.. Dott, who sat as chairman, "but
men in your position should set an ex-
ample. You are fined e2O on each count
with cost. Total $780,"
lll-starred Pottridge! He lett the
court politically and socially done for,
for he could no longer hope to be re-
elected mayor nor to marry Miss Dott.
He should have, moreover, to resign his
aldermanshlp, and his personal charac-
ter, as we'll as that Of his tea, sugar and
mustard, was ruined.
So ruined was Mr.. Pottridge that when
he went to London to give evidence
against Mrs. Pounceferth- -Keane, the first
question asked him by the counsel tor
the defcnse-a clustering old Bailey bar
rister-was, 81 believe you have just been
convicted of. selling adulterated goods
and at false weight?"
"Let me explain stammered poor
Pottridge.
"No explanation, sir. Give me plain
answer, yes or no!'
eyes. then"
"Well, then, if you arc liable to make
mistakes abut your weights, you may err
in other things.
"Perhaps,' replied the grocer, desper-
ately. II may have been mistaken in
thinking this lady was thief. I have
had enough bother about the business
"You ought to he ashamed of your flip
pant conduct, sir" cried the counsel
harshly, and the wretched grocer hob.
blcd out of the witness-box, feeling very
mean indeed. After this confession of
possible error on the part of the chief
witness, the case against Mrs. Pounce-
forth-Keane was, of course, dismissed,
and Mr.. Pottridge skunk out of the court
with magisterlal reprimand ringing in
his ears. To conclude this little story
one has only to add that when II. r. r.
the Prince Of Wales graciously went to
open the baths at scarborough it was
Mr.. Bungs who was mayor, and eventual.
ly got kn1ghted, while Mr.. Pottridge was
not even invited to the dinner at the
town hall, whereof he paid his share like
the other rate-payers.
He is no longer regarded as a lucky
man.