Autobiographical Sketches eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 252 pages of information about Autobiographical Sketches.

Autobiographical Sketches eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 252 pages of information about Autobiographical Sketches.

“Mr. Bradlaugh paced up and down his limited kingdom, and after I had finished correcting an N.R., I sometimes walked and sometimes sat, and we chatted over future proceedings, and growled at our long detention, and listened to names of prisoners being called, until we were at last summoned to ‘go up higher’, and we joyfully obeyed.  It was a strange sort of place to stand in, the dock of a police-court the position struck one as really funny, and everyone who looked at us seemed to feel the same incongruity:  officials, chief clerk, magistrate, all were equally polite, and Mr. Bradlaugh seemed to get his own way from the dock as much as everywhere else.  The sitting magistrate was Alderman Figgins, a nice, kindly old gentleman, robed in marvellous, but not uncomely, garments of black velvet, purple, and dark fur.  Below the magistrate, on either hand, sat a gentleman writing, one of whom was Mr. Martin, the chief clerk, who took the purely formal evidence required to justify the arrest.  The reporters all sat at the right, and Mr. Touzeau Parris shared their bench, sitting on the corner nearest us.  Just behind him Mr. Outram had kindly found seats for the two Misses Bradlaugh, who surveyed us placidly, and would, I am sure, had their duty called them to do so, have gladly and willingly changed places with us.  The back of the court was filled with kindly faces, and many bright smiles greeted us; among the people were those who so readily volunteered their aid, those described by an official as ‘a regular waggon-load of bail’.  Their presence there was a most useful little demonstration of support, and the telegrams that kept dropping in also had their effect.  ’Another of your friends, Mr. Bradlaugh,’ quoth the chief clerk, as the fourth was handed to him, and I hear that the little buff envelopes continued to arrive all the afternoon.  I need not here detail what happened in the court, as a full report by a shorthand writer appears in another part of the paper, and I only relate odds and ends.  It amused me to see the broad grin which ran round when the detective was asked whether he had executed the seizure warrant, and he answered sadly that there was ‘nothing to seize’.  When bail was called for, Dr. Drysdale, Messrs. Swaagman, Truelove, and Bell were the first summoned, and no objections being raised to them, nor further securities asked for, these four gentlemen were all that were needed.  We were then solemnly and severally informed that we were bound over in our own recognizances of L200 each to appear on Tuesday, April 17th, at eleven o’clock in the forenoon, to answer, etc., etc., etc., to which adjuration I only replied by a polite little bow.  After all this we passed into a small room at one side, and there waited till divers papers were delivered unto us, and we were told to depart in peace.  A number of people had gathered outside and cheered us warmly as we came out, one voice calling:  ‘Bravo! there’s

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Autobiographical Sketches from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.