“Alderman,” I put in, rising from my chair, “I respectfully object to any such delay. I am traveling, and it is not consistent with my interests to remain in the city beyond a day or two: and the prisoner knows it.”
On my styling the defendant the prisoner, he scowled on me like a very demon, and I felt that it wouldn’t have been pleasant to have had my life in his exclusive keeping, just then.
“Alderman,” he said, fairly choking with malignant anger, “it will be impossible to get my witnesses soon, and you must give me a show.”
“It is singular,” I urged, addressing the Alderman, “that I, who am a comparative stranger here, can find and produce my witnesses so much sooner than the defendant, who is an official here, and ought to be well acquainted. I most earnestly object to any such delay, as it would be scarcely just to detain me here, on expense, especially when business calls me away soon.”
“Probably,” insinuated the Chief, “the gentleman’s business is not so urgent—if he is a gentleman.”
“Mr. H * * * *,” said the Alderman, who was too honest to allow any one to be insulted in his office, “the plaintiff appears to be a gentleman. However, it is not to be discussed here whether he is or not. That is not to the point.”
“Mr. Alderman,” I remarked, calmly, “if our respective behavior here were taken as evidence, I think I could be proved quite as much of a gentleman as the defendant.”
“We’ll see about that by the time I get my witnesses,” said Chief Robert. “I’ve been keeping an eye on him since he came to the city, I know——”
“Mr. H * * * *,” interrupted the Alderman, “I cannot, and will not, allow any such talk in my office! For you, Chief of Police, to speak thus, is to insinuate that Mr. Smith is a suspicious character. There is nothing in his appearance to warrant such an insinuation. But let me not talk of that. Let us proceed with the case. This is Friday: I will postpone the hearing only till Monday. I think that will be dealing fairly by both.”
“It will be no such thing!” vociferated the irate official. “You are not giving me a fair show! You are showing partiality toward——”