Policeman Le Verrier[804] stated that he saw the prosecutor walking along the pavement,--and sometimes turning sideways, and sometimes running up to the railings and jerking about in a strange way. Calculated that somebody must be pulling his coat, or otherwise assaulting him. It was so dark that he could not see; but thought, if he watched the direction in which the next odd move was made, he might find out something. When the time came, he set Bruennow, a constable in another division of the same force, to watch where he told him; and Bruennow caught the prisoner lurking about in the very spot,--trying to look as if he was minding his own business. Had suspected for a long time that somebody was lurking about in the neighborhood. Bruennow was then called, and deposed to his catching the prisoner as described. _M. Arago._--Was the prosecutor sober? _Le Verrier._--Lord, yes, your worship; no man who had a drop in him ever looks so cold as he did. _M. Arago._--Did you see the assault? _Le Verrier._--I can't say I did; but I told Bruennow exactly how he'd be crouched down;--just as he was. {391} _M. Arago (to Bruennow)._--Did _you_ see the assault? _Bruennow._--No, your worship; but I caught the prisoner. _M. Arago._--How did you know there was any assault at all? _Le Verrier._--I reckoned it couldn't be otherwise, when I saw the prosecutor making those odd turns on the pavement. _M. Arago._--You reckon and you calculate! Why, you'll tell me, next, that you policemen may sit at home and find out all that's going on in the streets by arithmetic. Did you ever bring a case of this kind before me till now? _Le Verrier._--Why, you see, your worship, the police are growing cleverer and cleverer every day. We can't help it:--it grows upon us. _M. Arago._--You're getting too clever for me. What does the prosecutor know about the matter? The prosecutor said, all he knew was that he was pulled behind by somebody several times. On being further examined, he said that he had seen the prisoner often, but did not know his name, nor how he got his living; but had understood he was called Neptune. He himself had paid rates and taxes a good many years now. Had a family of six,--two of whom got their own living. The prisoner being called on for his defence, said that it was a quarrel. He had pushed the prosecutor--and the prosecutor had pushed him. They had known each other a long time, and were always quarreling;--he did not know why. It was their nature, he supposed. He further said, that the prosecutor had given a false account of himself;--that he went about under different names. Sometimes he was called Uranus, sometimes Herschel, and sometimes Georgium Sidus; and he had no character for regularity in the neighborhood. Indeed, he was sometimes not to be seen for a long time at once.