Mike remained speechless for a moment, staring at the Judge in the most penetrating manner. That functionary finally broke the silence.
"Well, why don't you answer?"
Witness.—"And sure, your Honor, didn't you just tell me to remain spacheless when questioned?"
Court.—"Only when questioned, I said."
Witness (to the counsel).—"I was on the stameboat, and the Agint there knows it, so he does; and them other big feeling chaps there (pointing to the Deputy Marshals) knows it too. And I'd like to see 'em try to delay me in that way agin," at the same time looking fists, if not daggers, at those innocent officials.
Here the patience of the Court, as well as the counsel, became well nigh exhausted, and it was suggested that Michael should stand aside for the present, as the same facts could be proved by another and more intelligent witness.
The new witness went on to describe the affair from the commencement, including the detention at Albany. The cross-examination, however, showed that so far as any "imprisonment" was concerned, it was literally "false."
It was shown that all had the "freedom of the city," while in Albany, having frequently visited some "distant" connections—distant about two miles from the police station—and had been well boarded, away from the station, at the public expense. That in fact they could have gone anywhere they chose, a few hours after their arrival in Albany, or on any succeeding day.
After listening to the circumstances, and the motives which led to the detention of these men, and to the testimony of one of the police officers at Albany, in relation to their treatment while there, the Judge summarily dismissed the case, remarking that, in the first place no "imprisonment" had been proven, and that, even if it had, he should probably have sustained the officers in the discharge of what they considered their duty, in endeavoring to ferret out and punish the authors of important crimes against the laws of the land.
The trial I have just described was but one of many incidental occurrences which took place in the course of the attempts made to arrest Pat R.; occurrences, both tragical and comical, which would here find a place, did not the limited space render that impossible.