“Alderman,” said I, “my name is John Smith, and I reside in Philadelphia. I come before you to prefer against one Robert H * * * *,—a fellow calling himself Chief of Police—a charge of assault and battery.”
“What! Not assault and battery on you—a cripple!”
“Yes, sir, sad as the case is, it is true. I charge him with assault and battery. Please take my deposition. I have other witnesses. General P * * * * * * is one of them. He saw it.”
“Ah! He was present?”
“Yes, sir.”
I was then sworn to tell “the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth;” and I then made my statement—“in accordance with the facts.”
“Come to-morrow afternoon at four o’clock,” said the Alderman. “I will have him here to answer at that time.”
“I will. Thank you.”
Next day I was at the Alderman’s “on time.” I had not been there long before Robert H * * * * stepped in. The Alderman had just finished making out a commitment for a lady, who had struck another in the face eight times with a broomstick for doubting her word, and saying so, pointedly; and he was now ready to attend to our case.
“Alderman,” said Chief Robert, with his usual arrogant air, “I want to get this trifling affair delayed for a week, as all my witnesses are out of town. I can’t attend to it before next Friday. That will be just a week from to-day.”