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　human　flies。　　Life　was　at　best　a　dark；　inhuman；　unkind；　unsympathetic　struggle　built　of　cruelties　and　the　law；　and　its　lawyers　were　the　most　despicable　representatives　of　the　whole　unsatisfactory　mess。　Still　he　used　law　as　he　would　use　any　other　trap　or　weapon　to　rid　him　of　a　human　ill；　and　as　for　lawyers；　he　picked　them　up　as　he　would　any　club　or　knife　wherewith　to　defend　himself。　　He　had　no　particular　respect　for　any　of　themnot　even　Harper　Steger；　though　he　liked　him。　　They　were　tools　to　be　usedknives；　keys；　clubs；　anything　you　will；　but　nothing　more。　　When　they　were　through　they　were　paid　and　droppedput　aside　and　forgotten。　　As　for　judges；　they　were　merely　incompetent　lawyers；　at　a　rule；　who　were　shelved　by　some　fortunate　turn　of　chance；　and　who　would　not；　in　all　likelihood；　be　as　efficient　as　the　lawyers　who　pleaded　before　them　if　they　were　put　in　the　same　position。　　He　had　no　respect　for　judgeshe　knew　too　much　about　them。　　He　knew　how　often　they　were　sycophants；　political　climbers；　political　hacks；　tools；　time…servers；　judicial　door…mats　lying　before　the　financially　and　politically　great　and　powerful　who　used　them　as　such。　　Judges　were　fools；　as　were　most　other　people　in　this　dusty；　shifty　world。　　Pah！　His　inscrutable　eyes　took　them　all　in　and　gave　no　sign。　　His　only　safety　lay；　he　thought；　in　the　magnificent　subtley　of　his　own　brain；　and　nowhere　else。　　You　could　not　convince　Cowperwood　of　any　great　or　inherent　virtue　in　this　mortal　scheme　of　things。　　He　knew　too　much；　he　knew　himself。

When　the　judge　finally　cleared　away　the　various　minor　motions　pending；　he　ordered　his　clerk　to　call　the　case　of　the　City　of　Philadelphia　versus　Frank　A。　Cowperwood；　which　was　done　in　a　clear　voice。　　Both　Dennis　Shannon；　the　new　district　attorney；　and　Steger；　were　on　their　feet　at　once。　　Steger　and　Cowperwood；　together　with　Shannon　and　Strobik；　who　had　now　come　in　and　was　standing　as　the　representative　of　the　State　of　Pennsylvaniathe　complainanthad　seated　themselves　at　the　long　table　inside　the　railing　which　inclosed　the　space　before　the　judge's　desk。　　Steger　proposed　to　Judge　Payderson；　for　effect's　sake　more　than　anything　else；　that　this　indictment　be　quashed；　but　was　overruled。

A　jury　to　try　the　case　was　now　quickly　impaneledtwelve　men　out　of　the　usual　list　called　to　serve　for　the　monthand　was　then　ready　to　be　challenged　by　the　opposing　counsel。　　The　business　of　impaneling　a　jury　was　a　rather　simple　thing　so　far　as　this　court　was　concerned。　It　consisted　in　the　mandarin…like　clerk　taking　the　names　of　all　the　jurors　called　to　serve　in　this　court　for　the　monthsome　fifty　in　alland　putting　them；　each　written　on　a　separate　slip　of　paper；　in　a　whirling　drum；　spinning　it　around　a　few　times；　and　then　lifting　out　the　first　slip　which　his　hand　encountered；　thus　glorifying　chance　and　settling　on　who　should　be　juror　No。　1。　　His　hand　reaching　in　twelve　times　drew　out　the　names　of　the　twelve　jurymen；　who　as　their　names　were　called；　were　ordered　to　take　their　places　in　the　jury…box。

Cowperwood　observed　this　proceeding　with　a　great　deal　of　interest。　What　could　be　more　important　than　the　men　who　were　going　to　try　him？　The　process　was　too　swift　for　accurate　judgment；　but　he　received　a　faint　impression　of　middle…class　men。　　One　man　in　particular；　however；　an　old　man　of　sixty…five；　with　iron…gray　hair　and　beard；　shaggy　eyebrows；　sallow　complexion；　and　stooped　shoulders；　struck　him　as　having　that　kindness　of　temperament　and　breadth　of　experience　which　might　under　certain　circumstances　be　argumentatively　swayed　in　his　favor。　　Another；　a　small；　sharp…nosed；　sharp…chinned　commercial　man　of　some　kind；　he　immediately　disliked。

〃I　hope　I　don't　have　to　have　that　man　on　my　jury；〃　he　said　to　Steger；　quietly。

〃You　don't；〃　replied　Steger。　　〃I'll　challenge　him。　　We　have　the　right　to　fifteen　peremptory　challenges　on　a　case　like　this；　and　so　has　the　prosecution。〃

When　the　jury…box　was　finally　full；　the　two　lawyers　waited　for　the　clerk　to　bring　them　the　small　board　upon　which　slips　of　paper　bearing　the　names　of　the　twelve　jurors　were　fastened　in　rows　in　order　of　their　selectionjurors　one；　two；　and　three　being　in　the　first　row；　four；　five；　and　six　in　the　second；　and　so　on。　　It　being　the　prerogative　of　the　attorney　for　the　prosecution　to　examine　and　challenge　the　jurors　first；　Shannon　arose；　and；　taking　the　board；　began　to　question　them　as　to　their　trades　or　professions；　their　knowledge　of　the　case　before　the　court；　and　their　possible　prejudice　for　or　against　the　prisoner。

It　was　the　business　of　both　Steger　and　Shannon　to　find　men　who　knew　a　little　something　of　finance　and　could　understand　a　peculiar　situation　of　this　kind　without　any　of　them　（looking　at　it　from　Steger's　point　of　view）　having　any　prejudice　against　a　man's　trying　to　assist　himself　by　reasonable　means　to　weather　a　financial　storm　or　（looking　at　it　from　Shannon's　point　of　view）　having　any　sympathy　with　such　means；　if　they　bore　about　them　the　least　suspicion　of　chicanery；　jugglery；　or　dishonest　manipulation　of　any　kind。　　As　both　Shannon　and　Steger　in　due　course　observed　for　themselves　in　connection　with　this　jury；　it　was　composed　of　that　assorted　social　fry　which　the　dragnets　of　the　courts；　cast　into　the　ocean　of　the　city；　bring　to　the　surface　for　purposes　of　this　sort。　　It　was　made　up　in　the　main　of　managers；　agents；　tradesmen；　editors；　engineers；　architects；　furriers；　grocers；　traveling　salesmen；　authors；　and　every　other　kind　of　working　citizen　whose　experience　had　fitted　him　for　service　in　proceedings　of　this　character。　　Rarely　would　you　have　found　a　man　of　great　distinction；　but　very　frequently　a　group　of　men　who　were　possessed　of　no　small　modicum　of　that　interesting　quality　known　as　hard　common　sense。

Throughout　all　this　Cowperwood　sat　quietly　examining　the　men。　　A　young　florist；　with　a　pale　face；　a　wide　speculative　forehead；　and　anemic　hands；　struck　him　as　being　sufficiently　impressionable　to　his　personal　charm　to　be　worth　while。　　He　whispered　as　much　to　Steger。　　There　was　a　shrewd　Jew；　a　furrier；　who　was　challenged　because　he　had　read　all　of　the　news　of　the　panic　and　had　lost　two　thousand　dollars　in　street…railway　stocks。　　There　was　a　stout　wholesale　grocer；　with　red　cheeks；　blue　eyes；　and　flaxen　hair；　who　Cowperwood　said　he　thought　was　stubborn。　　He　was　eliminated。　　There　was　a　thin；　dapper　manager　of　a　small　retail　clothing　store；　very　anxious　to　be　excused；　who　declared；　falsely；　that　he　did　not　believe　in　swearing　by　the　Bible。　　Judge　Payderson；　eyeing　him　severely；　let　him　go。　　There　were　some　ten　more　in　allmen　who　knew　of　Cowperwood；　men　who　admitted　they　were　prejudiced；　men　who　were　hidebound　Republicans　and　resentful　of　this　crime；　men　who　knew　Stenerwho　were　pleasantly　eliminated。

By　twelve　o'clock；　however；　a　jury　reasonably　satisfactory　to　both　sides　had　been　chosen。





Chapter　XLI




At　two　o'clock　sharp　Dennis　Shannon；　as　district　attorney；　began　his　opening　address。　　He　stated　in　a　very　simple；　kindly　wayfor　he　had　a　most　engaging　mannerthat　the　indictment　as　here　presented　charged　Mr。　Frank　A。　Cowperwood；　who　was　sitting　at　the　table　inside　the　jury…rail；　first　with　larceny；　second　with　embezzlement；　third　with　larceny　as　bailee；　and　fourth　with　embezzlement　of　a　certain　sum　of　moneya　specific　sum；　to　wit；　sixty　thousand　dollarson　a　check　given　him　（drawn　to　his　order）　October　9；　1871；　which　was　intended　to　reimburse　him　for　a　certain　number　of　certificates　of　city　loan；　which　he　as　agent　or　bailee　of　the　check　was　supposed　to　have　purchased　for　the　city　sinking…fund　on　the　order　of　the　city　treasurer　（under　some　form　of　agreement　which　had　been　in　existence　between　them；　and　which　had　been　in　force　for　some　time）said　fund　being　intended　to　take　up　such　certificates　as　they　might　mature　in　the　hands　of　holders　and　be　presented　for　paymentfor　which　purpose；　however；　the　check　in　question　had　never　been　used。

〃Now；　gentlemen；〃　said　Mr。　Shannon；　very　quietly；　〃before　we　go　into　this　very　simple　question　of　whether　Mr。　Cowperwood　did　or　did　not　on　the　date　in　question　get　from　the　city　treasurer　sixty　thousand　dollars；　for　which　he　made　no　honest　return；　let　me　explain　to　you　just　what　the　people　mean　when　they　charge　him　first　with　larceny；　second　with　embezzlement；　third　with　larceny　as　bailee；　and　fourth　with　embezzlement　on　a　check。　　Now；　as　you　see；　there　are　four　counts　here；　as　we　lawyers　term　them；　and　the　reason　there　are　four　counts　is　as　follows：　A　man　may　be　guilty　of　larceny　and　embezzlement　at　the　same　time；　or　of　larceny　or　embezzlement　separately；　and　without　being　guilty　of　the　other；　and　the　district　attorney　representing　the　people　might　be　uncertain；　not　that　he　was　not　guilty　of　both；　but　that　it　might　not　be　possible　to　present　the　evidence　under　one　count；　so　as　to　insure　his　adequate　punishment　for　a　crime　which　in　a　way　involved　both。　　In　such　cases；　gentlemen；　it　is　customary　to　indict　a　man　under　separate　counts；　as　has　been　done　in　this　case。　　Now；　the　four　counts　in　this　case；　in　a　way；　overlap　and　confirm　each　other；　and　it　will　be　your　duty；　after　we　have　explained　their　nature　and　character　and　presented　the　evidence；　to　say　whether　the　defendant　is　guilty　on　one　count　or　the　other；　or　on　two　or　three　of　the　counts；　or　on　all　four