The only reply which Peter received to his letter to the
District-Attorney, was a mere formal reiteration of that officer's
verbal statement, that the case would be taken up in its due order,
after those which preceded it had been dealt with. Peter knew enough of
the numberless cases which never reach trial to understand that this
meant in truth, the laying aside of the case, till it was killed by the
statute of limitations.

On receiving this reply, Peter made another move, by going to three
newspapers, and trying to see their managing editors. One declined to
see him. A second merely told Peter, after his statement, which the
editor only allowed him partly to explain, that he was very busy and
could not take time to look into it, but that Peter might come again in
about a month. The third let Peter tell his story, and then shook his
head:

"I have no doubt you are right, but it isn't in shape for us to use.
Such a case rarely goes to trial for six months or a year, and so, if we
begin an attack now, it will simply fall flat. If you can get us a
written statement from the District Attorney that he doesn't intend to
push the case, we can do something, but I suppose he's far too shrewd to
commit himself."

"Yes."

"Then there's no use in beginning an attack, for you really have no
powder. Come in again a year from now, and then we may be able to say
something, if he hasn't acted in the meantime."