The President of his boys' club was admitted first to tell him
a saloon had been opened next door to their building in spite of
their protest to the Board of Excise.

Gordon frowned.

"It's no use to waste breath on the Board. They know that saloon
is within the forbidden number of feet from our church. But as the
Governor of New York has recently said, 'Give me the vote of the
saloons; I don't mind the churches,' go down to this lawyer and
tell him to insist on an indictment of Crook, the Chairman of the
Board, for the violation of his oath of office."

"It's no use, sir," said Anderson, his assistant. "I've been to
see him. He tells me there were three indictments for penitentiary
offenses pending against Crook when the Mayor promoted him to be
Chairman of the Board. Three courts have pronounced him guilty,
but the new Legislature is going to pass an ex-post facto law to
relieve him of his term in prison."

"Then try him with one more indictment and include the whole Board
of Excise this time. We will let them know we are alive."

Kate ushered in a slatternly little woman, dirty, ugly, cross-eyed
and her face red from weeping. "Please, Doctor, come quick. They've
got Dan. They knocked him in the head, dragged him down the stairs
and flung him in the wagon. He's in jail, and they say they'll have
him in Sing Sing in a week. He ain't done a thing. You're the only
friend we've got in the world."