The attorney wanted no better hint to accelerate his pace; and, having the start of the doctor, got downstairs, and out into the street; but the doctor was so close at his heels, and being in foot the nimbler of the two, he soon overtook him, and laid hold of him, as he would have done on either Broughton or Slack in the same cause.
This action in the street, accompanied with the frequent cry of Stop thief by the doctor during the chase, presently drew together a large mob, who began, as is usual, to enter immediately upon business, and to make strict enquiry into the matter, in order to proceed to do justice in their summary way.
Murphy, who knew well the temper of the mob, cried out, 'If you are a bailiff, shew me your writ. Gentlemen, he pretends to arrest me here without a writ.'
Upon this, one of the sturdiest and forwardest of the mob, and who by a superior strength of body and of lungs presided in this assembly, declared he would suffer no such thing. 'D--n me,' says he, 'away to the pump with the catchpole directly--shew me your writ, or let the gentleman go--you shall not arrest a man contrary to law.'
He then laid his hands on the doctor, who, still fast griping the attorney, cried out, 'He is a villain--I am no bailiff, but a clergyman, and this lawyer is guilty of forgery, and hath ruined a poor family.'
'How!' cries the spokesman--'a lawyer!--that alters the case.'
'Yes, faith,' cries another of the mob, 'it is lawyer Murphy. I know him very well.'
'And hath he ruined a poor family?--like enough, faith, if he's a lawyer. Away with him to the justice immediately.'
The bailiff now came up, desiring to know what was the matter; to whom Doctor Harrison answered that he had arrested that villain for a forgery. 'How can you arrest him?' cries the bailiff; 'you are no officer, nor have any warrant. Mr. Murphy is a gentleman, and he shall be used as such.'
'Nay, to be sure,' cries the spokesman, 'there ought to be a warrant; that's the truth on't.'
'There needs no warrant,' cries the doctor. 'I accuse him of felony; and I know so much of the law of England, that any man may arrest a felon without any warrant whatever. This villain hath undone a poor family; and I will die on the spot before I part with him.'
'If the law be so,' cries the orator, 'that is another matter. And to be sure, to ruin a poor man is the greatest of sins. And being a lawyer too makes it so much the worse. He shall go before the justice, d--n me if he shan't go before the justice! I says the word, he shall.'
'I say he is a gentleman, and shall be used according to law,' cries the bailiff; 'and, though you are a clergyman,' said he to Harrison, 'you don't shew yourself as one by your actions.'
'That's a bailiff,' cries one of the mob: 'one lawyer will always stand by another; but I think the clergyman is a very good man, and acts becoming a clergyman, to stand by the poor.'
At which words the mob all gave a great shout, and several cried out, 'Bring him along, away with him to the justice!'
And now a constable appeared, and with an authoritative voice declared what he was, produced his staff, and demanded the peace.
The doctor then delivered his prisoner over to the officer, and charged him with felony; the constable received him, the attorney submitted, the bailiff was hushed, and the waves of the mob immediately subsided.
The doctor now balanced with himself how he should proceed: at last he determined to leave Booth a little longer in captivity, and not to quit sight of Murphy before he had lodged him safe with a magistrate. They then all moved forwards to the justice; the constable and his prisoner marching first, the doctor and the bailiff following next, and about five thousand mob (for no less number were assembled in a very few minutes) following in the procession.
