A lot of time passed. Occasionally court policemen came into the room, selected more prisoners and drove them out toward a stairway.
At last it came the turn of Corporals Hal and Noll. They were taken from the room, up an iron staircase, and then pushed into the pen of a police court.
"Henry Overton and Oliver Terry!" called a clerk.
"There's yer cue," announced a gruff court policeman, pointing to the two young soldiers. He conducted them to the front of the pen where they stood facing a police magistrate.
The clerk announced the charge against them, then ordered wearily:
"Prisoners, hold up your right hands. You do solemnly swear——"
The two young corporals had been duly sworn to tell the truth.
"Where's the arresting officer?" demanded Judge Guffey.
Policeman Johnson came forward, held up his hand and was sworn.
Then the policeman started to tell the story of what he claimed to have seen. According to this evidence, Noll and Hal had first insulted a young woman with whom Bill Dabner was walking at the time. Bill had naturally resented the insults, and then the soldiers had violently assaulted Bill and his male friend, while the girl broke through the gathering crowd and fled for home.