 man who felt that his
success was certain.
    When Mr. Van der School arose to address the jury, he commenced by saying -
    »Gentlemen of the jury, I should have interrupted the leading questions put
by the prisoner's counsel, (by leading questions I mean telling him what to
say,) did I not feel confident that the law of the land was superior to any
advantages (I mean legal advantages) which he might obtain by his art. The
counsel for the prisoner, gentlemen, has endeavoured to persuade you, in
opposition to your own good sense, to believe that pointing a rifle at a
constable (elected or deputed) is a very innocent affair; and that society (I
mean the commonwealth, gentlemen,) shall not be endangered thereby. But let me
claim your attention, while we look over the particulars of this heinous
offence.« Here Mr. Van der School favoured the jury with an abridgment of the
testimony, recounted in such a manner as utterly to confuse the faculties of his
worthy listeners. After this exhibition he closed as follows: - »And now,
gentlemen, having thus made plain to your senses the crime of which this
unfortunate man has been guilty, (unfortunate both on account of his ignorance
and his guilt,) I shall leave you to your own consciences; not in the least
doubting that you will see the importance (notwithstanding the prisoner's
counsel (doubtless relying on your former verdict) wishes to appear so confident
of success) of punishing the offender, and asserting the dignity of the laws.«
    It was now the duty of the Judge to deliver his charge. It consisted of a
short, comprehensive summary of the testimony, laying bare the artifice of the
prisoner's counsel, and placing the facts in so obvious a light that they could
not well be misunderstood. »Living, as we do, gentlemen,« he concluded, »on the
skirts of society, it becomes doubly necessary to protect the ministers of the
law. If you believe the witnesses, in their construction of the acts of the
prisoner, it is your duty to convict him; but if you believe that the old man,
who this day appears before you, meant not to harm the constable, but was acting
more under the influence of habit than by the instigations of malice, it will be
your duty to judge him, but to do it with lenity.«
    As before, the jury did not leave their box, but, after a consultation of
some little time, their foreman arose, and pronounced the prisoner -
    »
