Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-06-25

in the prisoners ante-room at the Old Bal
ley. 1t was full of lounging men, whose
fieshy limbs bulged out against the tight.
loud checks of their coats and trousers.
These were jailers, waiting to bring in
their prisoners On the other side of the
black door the grand jury was celebrating
on my case, behind another the court was
in waiting to try me. All night had been
pacing up and down, trying to bring my
brain to think of points-points in my de-
Tense. 1t was very difficult l knew that
must keep cool. be calm, be lucid, be con-
vincing; and my brain had reeled at times
even in the darkness of the cell. l knew 1t
had reeled because / remembered that once
l had fallen against the stone of one of
the walls, and once against the door. Here
In the light with only a door between my
self and the last scene. l regained my hold
l was going to fight every inch from start
to finish.
A hubbub of expostulation was going on
at the third door. My turnkey called sud
denly:
Let the german in, Charlie. Pal O.
ourn." and my father ran huntedly into
the room. He began an endless tale of
hackney coachman who had stood in
front of the door OF his coach to prevent
of caddee-smashers. who had hustled him
and filched his purse. "Of course, l made
| a fight for it, he said. a ID good fight.
cor sioering. It's in the blood But
the watch came, and, in shorten such an
| occasion as this there is no time for words
i passed the night In the watch house
Many and many a night 1 passed there
when l ard Lord. But l am losing
time"
You amt fit to walk the streets of Lon
don alcne, SIR the turnkey said
My father gave him a corner of his mar
| row-Fdded eyes My man." he said, II
the land before your mother bore you in
Bridewell, or whatever Jail 1t was"
on. no oTense," the turnkey mutter-
| ed.
man with ona aya ,~,,,oa h, 49,, ,
denly from behind the grand jury door
! He jerked his head in my direction
Now. then. in with that carrion. D'you
want to keep the judges waiting?"
l stepped through the door straight down
| into the dock: there was a row of spikes
/ In the front of it. I wasn't afraid: three
men In enormous wigs and ermine robes
| faced me; four in short wigs had their
heads together like parrots on a branch. A
| fat man, bareheaded, with a Rilt chain
round his neck, slipped from behind into a
seat beside the highest placed Judge.
| He was wiping his mouth and munching
with his Jaws On each side of the judges
beyond the short wigged assessors. were
| chairs full of ladies and gentlemen 1 won
| oered why young girl with blue eyes and
! pink cheeks Uttered and shrugged her
| shoulders. 1 did not know what was anus
| ing
man was bawlng out number of
challenge. Lazarus Cohen. mer,
! chant, any challenge. ."
The turnkey beside me leant with his
back against the spikes He was talking
| to the man who had called us in
The other man said, Ssh"
! His old dad give me five sinners to put
! him up to thing If could" the turnkey
| said again.
! l didn't catch his meaning until an old
| man with very ragged gown was handing
| up book to row of others in a box so
| near that / could almost have touched
| them. Then l realized that the turnkey
| had been wlnking to me to challenge the
| jury l called out at the highest of the
| judges:
| Il protest against that jury It Is packed
| Half of them at least, are West Indian
| merchants"
There was stir all over the court l
| reaazed then that what had seemed only
| mass OF stuffs of some sort were human
| beings ali looking at me- The Judge had
! clasped and unclasped his hands very dry
ancient, wrinkled. The Judge on his right
| called angriiy:
Nonsense, 1t is too late They are
| being sworn. You should have spoken
| when the names were read" Underneath
| his wig was an immensely broad face with
| glaring yellow eyes.
/ said, TT Is scandalous. You want to
| murder me. How should know what you
do in your courts? 1 say the jury is pack
| ed"
The very old Judge closed his eyes, opened
| them again. then gasped out:
Silence We are here to try you. This
| is q court OF law"
The turnkey pulled my sleeve under cover
OF the planking Treat him CIVIL" hs