The commissioner nodded and Steuermann and his counsel Mr. Munjoy, turned to Feldman in amazement.
"What's all this, Feldman?" Munjoy cried.
Feldman waved his hand impressively.
"My objection is, sir, that a gross fraud has been practised on this court. It has come to my attention that somebody connected with this proceeding has furnished a material witness for the defense with a ticket for Chicago and one thousand rubles as a bribe to stay away from the hearing."
Counsel for the complainant jumped to his feet.
"This is preposterous!" he declared.
"By no means," Feldman continued. "Will you direct counsel not to interrupt me, sir, if you please?"
"I so direct," the commissioner replied, whereat Feldman again cleared his throat and coughed twice, and, in answer to this cue, Yosel Levin, alias Joseph Harkavy, entered the room.
"The person so bribed, Mr. Commissioner, is named in the petition as the corpus delicti of the crime alleged to have been committed," Feldman said.
"What!" Munjoy and opposing counsel cried in unison, and the clerk to the consulate reached for his hat and started for the door. His counsel leaped after him, however, and succeeded in catching his coat-tails just as he was about to disappear into the hall.