I  began  to  feel  this  pressure  in  aU  sorts  of
cases:  they  did  not  attempt  to  reach  me  directly,
knowing  that  I  had  defied  the  Boss  in  my  elec-
tion, but  it  came  about  in  the  curious  ways  in
which  witnesses  faded  out  of  the  reach  of  the
sheriflTs  office,  in  the  disagreement  of  juries,  and
the  like.  I  remember  one  case  of  adultery  in
which  the  parties  brought  powerful  influence  to
bear,  defeating  my  attempts  at  prosecution.
Finally  I  was  taken  sick  and  had  to  go  to  bed.
Keyes  seized  eagerly  upon  the  opportunity  and
used  his  influence  to  compel  the  dismissal  of  the
case  against  the  defendant.  I  heard  of  it,  and,
although  too  weak  to  walk,  I  had  myself  rolled
in  a  blanket  and  driven  to  the  courthouse.  I
entered  my  appearance  and  asserted  my  official
authority  against  having  the  case


POLITICAL  BEGINNINGS  89

There  was  a  good  deal  of  a  fight,  I  remember,
and  I  was  threatened  with  being  sent  to  jail  for
contempt.  But  I  finally  secured  a  postponement
and  afterward  convicted  my  man.
Under  such  conditions,  it  may  well  be  imag-
ined, any  man  inside  the  political  ring,  or  a  man
with  great  political  influence,  could  escape  pun-
ishment for  almost  any  offense  except,  perhaps,
a  capital  crime.  I  early  determined  that  I
would  make  absolutely  no  distinctions  between
men  in  the  administration  of  justice,  and  I  soon
had  a  very  severe  test,  in  which  I  had  to  meet
the  influence  of  the  system  which  then  prevailed.
