Part 4 (1/2)

_J. F_. H'm! So I should think. That'll do, Mr. Potlegoff; I won't muddle your ”Rent-of-Ability” any more. Good bye.

[SERGEANT STICKTOIT _called_.

_Mr. H_. Have you heard the prisoner speaking?

_St_. Yes.

_Mr. H_. Where?

_St_. At Beadon Road amongst other places: that's where I took him.

_Mr. H_. What was he doing?

_St_. Standing on a stool, speaking

_Mr. H_. Yes; speaking: to how many people?

_St_. About a thousand.

_Mr. H_. Could you get near him?

_St_. Nowhere near.

_Mr. H_. Well, can you tell me what he was saying?

_St_. Well, he said that all the rich people and all the shopkeepers (_glancing at the Jury_) should be disemboweled and flayed alive, and that all arrangements had been made for doing it, if only the workingmen would combine. He then went into details as to where various detachments were to meet in order to take the Bank of England and capture the Queen.

He also threatened to smash Mr. Justice Nupkins' ”Rent-of-Ability,” by which I understood him to mean his skull.

_J. N_. His--my brains, you mean!

_St_. No, my lord; for he said that you--that he--hadn't any brains.

_Mr. H_. Did you find any doc.u.ments or papers on him when he was arrested?

_St_. Yes; he had a bundle of papers with him.

_Mr. H_. Like this? (_showing a number of_ ”_Commonweal_”)

_St_. Yes.

_J. F_. (_Aside_: Two quires that I couldn't sell, d.a.m.n it!)

_Mr. H_. We put this paper in, my lord. Your lords.h.i.+p will notice the vileness of the incendiarism contained in it. I specially draw your attention to this article by one Bax, who as you will see, is familiar with the use of dynamite to a fearful extent. (J. N. _reads, muttering_ ”_Curse of Civilisation_.”) Gentlemen of the Jury that is our case.

_J. N_. (_looking up from_ ”_Commonweal_”). Prisoner at the bar, what have you to say? Do you call witnesses?

_J. F_. Yes, I call witnesses, but I haven't much to say. I am accused of obstruction, but I shan't argue that point, as I know that I should do myself no good by proving that I had not obstructed. I am accused of being a Socialist and a revolutionist. Well, if you, my lord, and you, gentlemen of the Jury, and the cla.s.ses to which you belong, knew what Socialism means--and I fear you take some pains not to--you would also know what the condition of things is now, and how necessary revolution is. So if it is a crime to be a Socialist and a revolutionist, I have committed that crime; but the charge against me is that I am a criminal fool, which I am not. And my witnesses will show you, gentlemen of the Jury, that the evidence brought against me is a ma.s.s of lies of the silliest concoction. That is, they will show it you if you are sensible men and understand your position as jurymen, which I almost fear you do not. Well, it will not be the first time that the judge has usurped the function of the jury, and I would go to prison cheerfully enough if I could hope it would be the last.

[_He pauses as if to listen. Confused noises and the sound of the_ ”_Ma.r.s.eillaise_” _a long way off_. (_Aside_: What is it, I wonder?--No; it's nothing.)