The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-05-14

paper money. Returning to my room !
saw from the doorway Samuel in the act
of Withdrawing his hand from my case,
and there was a flicker of something
white in that hand.
Darling on him, caught him by both
wrists, forced both hands above his head
and held them there while he struggled,
and I shouted for Davies. The police
captain ran in, clutched one of Samuel
hands, and took from it a couple of so
rupee bills. Then he went out into the
passage; next moment entered two of his
men, and in twinkling Samuel was a
handcuffed prisoner on his way to the
adjacent prison.
1t was on the impulse of the moment
that had shouted for Davies, and the
words were hardly out of my mouth when
l regretted having done SO.
But it was in vain that I now argued
with the police chief that had summoned
him as private friend, not in his pro-
fessional capacity; it was in vain, too,
that begged him not to proceed against
the unfortunate wretch. He cut me
short, blunty told me that he knew his
duty and meant to do it. The man was
thief: he, himself, had taken from him
the stolen bills; it was not likely that he
could be priyy to the conformation of
felony.
There is no Lynch law in British India,
but in criminal cases the processes are
like modern wars-short, sharp and de-
cisive. Davies himself was the prose-
cutor; my role, I was glad to know, was
merely that of a witness.
Next morning at 6, the native magis-
trate was on the bench, Samuel in the
dock, and I in the witness box. The trial
lasted exactly IL minutes, and Samuel
was taken away with sentence on his
head OF three years. Imprisonment.
On the following day l was asked by
the commissioner of the district to visit
with him the local prison, OF the arrange
ments of which he was very proud. 1t
was not very lively peregrination, not
withstanding the selfcomplacency of the
worthy commissioner, who affably point
ed to his select assortment of murderers,
each in his own separate cage. The labor
yard was full of able bodied prisoners
languidly pulverising old bricks to be
beaten up into cement. One of the
heaters suddenly sprang up, darted to-
ward me and threw himself at my feet in
a grovelling heap.
1t was Samuel. his black face streaked
with runlets OF perspiration through the
coating of red dust, naked to the waist
and clad only in a pair OF old pyiamas.
His agony of beseeching was most pite-
Gus. "Master could get him out Of this
awful place--masterm must do 1.-THE would
die else-he would kill himself"
The commissioner told him that such
entreaties were futile; that only good
conduct could shorten his term.
At the poor fellows earnest request, |
promised to see his wife, and tell her
where he was; his injunctions to her
were that neither his children should
know anything, nor his church-this
showed that a CLEAN of self-respect still
remained in him.
When in Calcutta a month later, did
see his wife who seemed to know her hus-
band but too we'll; and l was able to do
better than the commissioner could have
anticipated. / had been useful to the
authorities at Government House, and
before left Calcutta, l had the promise
that Samuel would be released after serv-
ing the first of his term.