In the last part Ben learned that the ministerial alliance was organizing for the Awakening meetings and had received copies of the Wordless Book. Ben learned about some millionaires’ plan to commercialize the Golden Gate Park and after prayer, (unwittingly) told Clyde how to stop it.

Ben was ambling down Lombard Street about lunchtime, figuring pastrami on some of the delicious sourdough bread would make a good lunch. When he got to Stockton Street he turned left directly into the arms of two black men, one having a distinct resemblance to Diamond Jim: Mario Colosimo.

They were as surprised as he was.

Reflectively, Ben dropped from their arms, hopped back, and kicked out at one while round-housing the other. And then just as quickly, Ben was pinned against a wall, being placed under arrest by two policemen.

Two days later, one of the jail guards let Ben know that the man he’d kicked was in a hospital. Evidently, he’d had an untreated infected hernia. Ben ruptured it. They were waiting to see if the man died in order to charge Ben with murder.

Henry came to Ben’s cell on the afternoon. “Why didn’t you tell them I was your lawyer?” Henry asked.

“I did. First day.”

“The first day you were arrested? Have you been to see a judge yet?”

“No. Haven’t seen anybody but you. Now.”

“We’ll sue them. Name every one of them. Habeas Corpus.”

“No, I’d rather not. I’ve brought seven a’ these fellas to Christ.” Ben smiled to a fuming Henry. “But I am ready to get outta here and get a bath. Maybe a meal, or two. I ate better on the Superbia.”

“Give me an hour,” Henry said, calling for a jail guard.

An hour and a half later, Angelo appeared at the jail cell entry. Ben didn’t see him, being a general area of more than forty cell mates.

“Where’s my cowboy friend?” Angelo said, his voice just a degree below a shout. He was dressed in his Chicago lieutenant’s uniform, figuring that it would get him some professional courtesy. He brought it along for that very reason, but not figuring he would be helping bail Ben out of jail with it.

The two reached through the bars to one another, shaking hands, all their teeth showing in their grins. Ben’s fellow prisoners were all a’gape at his familiarity with a police uppity-muck.

While Ben and Angelo still had hold on each other’s hands, Henry came into the area with two guards in tow.

“Getting you out, Ben.” Henry gazed at Angelo, totally bewildered.

“I’ll tell you at your office, Henry,” Ben said, satisfying him.

The street car ride to Henry’s office was professionally silent. Angelo poured out the entire story in Henry’s office, starting from La Lama’s knife to learning that Diamond Jim’s two sons and their gang were San Francisco bound. Angelo was on the next day’s train to San Francisco.

Then it was Henry’s turn. Mario Colosimo would likely die within the next few days. Murder charges were imminent, considering Ben’s reputation with the corrupt police force. Ben would have a court appearance for his arraignment the next morning for the charge of assault. The city would amend the charge to murder if the Colosimo man died.

At the arraignment, 22 members of the clergy packed the courtroom. Angelo shook his head at the backwards collars, amazed that he would even be amazed at Ben’s support. The judge was a congregant of one of the pastors.

Ben was released on his own recognizance.

With a little investigative work, though on his own, since the San Francisco Police Department was not cooperating with him, Angelo learned that in the two rented railroad cabins, a total of eight traveled from Chicago. Mario’s brother Vincent, and six others were somewhere in San Francisco bent on revenge, now two-fold.

+++

Henry handed Ben a newspaper article printed in the San Francisco Chronicle, a newspaper with a statewide circulation.

STREET PREACHER ARRESTED FOR ASSAULT – MAYBE MURDER

A San Francisco street preacher named Ben Persons has been arrested for defending himself against a Chicago gang. The gang, led by the son of Chicago’s notorious Vincenzo Colosimo, aka Diamond Jim, traveled by train from Chicago to seek vengeance upon the person of San Francisco’s very popular and well-respected man of the cloth, Ben Persons.

At half past noon on August 30, two of the Chicago Diamond Jim gang accosted Mr. Persons. Slipping their grasp, Mr. Persons defended himself, injuring Diamond Jim’s son. Two of San Francisco’s police officers were quickly on the scene, taking Mr. Person’s into custody. In their report, obtained by this reporter, they claim to have witnessed the altercation and immediately subdued the attacker, Mr. Persons. Witnesses may testify that it was self-defense.

Mario Colosimo was taken to Mary’s Medical Center. He is not expected to live.

The trial date for Mr. Persons has not yet been set. Mr. Persons is represented by Halleck and Henderson Law Firm, Henry Halleck, Attorney-at-Law as lead council.

Ben read it and handed it to Angelo while his gaze was set on Henry, who sat with his hands templed in front of his mouth, hiding a smile. After Angelo read it, Henry handed Ben a card.

“This was delivered this morning. Know anything about it?”

Ben’s chuckle morphed into a pinched-off laugh. He handed it to Angelo.

Have Gun, Will Travel

WIRE PALADIN

San Francisco

Overlaying the words of the card was a white knight.

“I think I can explain that,” Ben said. And then he did, dismissing Paladin’s offer outright.

“But what about the newspaper article?” Ben asked.

Henry replied. “One: if we go to trial, I want your story out there. And two: I want the District Attorney to know that he has an uphill battle.”

“One,” Ben returned, “All they did was grab me. I threw the first punch, so to speak. Two: I didn’t see any witnesses.”

“Doesn’t mean there weren’t any,” Henry said, followed by Angelo’s saying that there were prob’ly some of his friends all over the place. His grin was infectious.

Ben, though, had an unsettled look on his face.

Henry’s secretary stuck her head into the office to deliver the news. “Colosimo just died.”