was always hanging about the office and
asking if this and that were "within the law." One fine day he
was arrested on the charge of having obtained money by false premises
in an unique manner.

It appeared that he had learned through a certain bar-tender that
one Jones, a patron of the place, had but recently come into a
legacy of a couple of hundred dollars and, in connection therewith,
had imbibed so freely that he had become involved in a fist fight
with a gentleman by the name of Holahan and had done the latter
considerable facial damage. McDuff pondered upon these facts for
some time over his beer and then set out to find Jones--not a
difficult task, as the legatee was making a round of all the near-
by saloons and endeavoring to drink up his good fortune as rapidly
as possible. Overtaking him in a side street McDuff grasped him
roughly by the shoulder.

"Look here, Jones," says he, pretending to be an officer; "I have
a warrant for your arrest for committing a battery upon Thomas
Holahan. You must come along with me to the station-house."

"What! For me!" cries Jones in an agony of dismay. "Sure, I did
nothing to the man. You're not going to lock me up for that!"

"It's my unpleasant duty," answers McDuff. "An officer has no
choice in the matter. You must step along."

"Come, come!" replies Jones, pulling his money from his pocket.
"Here's a hundred and fifty dollars. Say you couldn't find me!"

"I would be taking a great risk," responds the supposed officer.
"Have you no more than that?"

"I have my gold watch and chain," returned Jones. "You can have
them and welcome--only let me go!"

The bargain was stuck then and there and the transfer from Jones'
pockets to those of McDuff effected. Unfortunately, however, Jones
next day discovered that Holahan harbored no ill-will against him
and that the supposed officer was nothing of the kind. Rising in
his wrath, he in turn procured a warrant for McDuff and caused his
arrest and indictment. The trial came off and despite Gottlieb's
best efforts his client was convicted by the jury of stealing Jones'
watch, chain, and money by falsely representing himself to be an
officer of the law. The case went on appeal to the Supreme Court,
which affirmed the conviction, and there seemed no escape for McDuff
from a term in prison.

One evening Gottlieb and I got talking about the case among other
things.

"How is it," said I, "that the criminal law will