The Quality of Mercy - By Barry Unsworth Page 0,81
a stick. I lose my senses, don’ know where I am.”
“What, they dragged you like that through the streets, half conscious as you were, and nobody intervened or even inquired into the matter?”
“Nobody, sir, no. People think black man slave run away.”
“What a famous example of humanity,” Ashton said. “And these fine fellows here locked you up without question—except regarding the price. Before I can obtain your release I shall need an order for it, signed by a magistrate. It will be an order for your immediate appearance in court to answer as to whether you have done any wrong that would justify your being kept imprisoned. Once we have established that you have no charge to answer, you will leave the court a free man. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir, and heaven bless you. I ask it in my prayers.”
“You are a Christian, then?”
“Yes, I been baptized.”
“That very probably will help us,” Ashton said. “The courts are more favorably disposed to those who are not heathens. I am sorry you will have to stay longer in this foul place, but it should not be more than a few days.”
“I will not mind it. I know you do not forget me.”
Ashton saw that tears had come to Evans’s eyes. “I am your friend,” he said. “Keep it in mind that I am working for your release. On no account must you leave this prison unless you are accompanied by me.” He turned to the head keeper. “When I come for him,” he said, “I will inquire of him, not of you, how he has been treated in the meanwhile. I advise you to bear this in mind.”
On this, Evans was led back to his cell and Ashton took his leave, not ill satisfied with the result of his visit. He went immediately to the Lord Mayor’s chambers to lay the information that a Jeremy Evans was confined at the Poultry Compter without any warrant.
He did not have long to wait. The writ was issued the following day. Charles Bolton and Andrew Lyons were commanded to produce before the Lord Mayor at his chambers the body of Jeremy Evans and to show cause for the taking and detaining of him. The action was heard at Mansion House in the presence of the Lord Mayor himself. The cause of detention of Evans was stated to be that he was the slave and property of Lyons, by purchase from Bolton, who had held him in Jamaica as a slave; that when brought to London he ran away from the service of his master but was recovered and detained until a ship was ready to return him to the West Indies.
The Lord Mayor, having listened to Ashton’s claim of imprisonment without warrant, as voiced by his lawyer, Horace Stanton, took very little time to ponder the matter. No evidence had been produced that Evans was guilty of any offense, and therefore his detention was unlawful. He was discharged and declared free to leave the court.
He had scarcely finished pronouncing this judgment and Evans, with Ashton at his side, had just come to his feet, preparatory to leaving the courtroom, when a man strode forward and seized Evans by the arm, announcing his identity as Captain William Newton of the Arabella, the slave ship designated to transport Evans to Jamaica. In his other hand he waved the bill of sale certifying to the purchase of Evans by Andrew Lyons.
“I secure his person as the property of Mr. Lyons,” he said in loud tones.
Ashton saw two rough-looking men pressing behind, obviously hired for the occasion. Evans struggled to free his arm, but the captain held on to it. Newton’s face was red and congested-looking, and veins stood out at his temples. A sort of reciprocal rage of violence was aroused in Ashton, and he felt a sharp impulse to strike at the arm that was still holding Evans. Fortunately for him—he would have stood small chance in a physical conflict with the captain—he heard Stanton’s voice immediately behind him: “Threaten to charge him with assault if he does not immediately release the man’s arm.”
“This man has been discharged by the court,” Ashton said. “There is no charge against him, he is free to leave. That document you are brandishing has no validity here. The issue of property must be decided in another court. Remove your hand from his arm at once, or I will issue an immediate summons of assault against you. There is no shortage of