False Arrest

The police wanted “M. Smith” for contempt of court, and the initial and surname of a woman in our congregation (quite innocent) propitiously fitted the bill! This is how she described it. They put her in a crowded cell, where there was continual turmoil. It was dry toast and squash (diluted concentrate) for three days -- except Sunday lunch, when a blue egg and a cup of coffee were added. For three days, she couldn’t tell whether it was day or night. On day 3 (her final day) her husband brought her her Bible, which relieved the tedium. The magistrate said she could lay a charge against the police for false arrest. She said to me: “What for? It’ll fall under the carpet, or I’ll be fighting it for years with no result.”