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no matter what was said or done by anyone; that I was their counsel, and if they wanted to speak to any person they could speak to me. In a day from that time I saw them.
In the course of a few weeks they were brought to Lowell for trial, and pretty much all Malden came up to see the “fire bugs” dealt with.
I moved for separate trials and got them.
I had learned exactly all that the constable had told the boys.
They had told me truly and the only danger was that the constable would deny telling what he did tell them.
The constable was put on the stand and he glorified himself slightly in describing his efforts to arrest the boys.
Then he was asked what the boy on trial said to him.
“Stop a moment, Mr. Constable,” said I; “may it please your Honor, I want to find out first what he said to the boys, because perhaps it won't be of any consequence what they said to him. Now,” said I, “Mr. Constable, I want you to tell exactly what you said to the boys.
I know from them, and you must tell the truth about it, because there are three of them to one.
Didn't you tell the boys each that the others had confessed in these words?” --giving the words.
“Yes, sir.”
“And didn't you tell my client at the bar that if he would confess he should have a part of the $500, and wasn't that before he confessed anything?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Well,” I said, “may it please your Honor, I think we won't hear anything from this man of what the boys said to him, because any confession obtained by an officer by an inducement cannot be heard in a court of justice.
Mr. District Attorney, you had better call your next witness.”
The court sustained my point.
The attorney hadn't any next witness, and that boy went free, and there was no other testimony against the other two boys, and they all went home that evening, and so did the rest of the inhabitants of Malden.
But that night they hanged the poor lawyer in effigy.
I am glad to say that Malden I was not in my district then, so that it didn't alter the votes.
The next time I was a candidate, and afterwards when I was running for office, Malden was largely on
A. M. Thayer and Co. 1892.
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