The policeman arrived and demanded to know why he had been called out at this hour. When he heard that the 'crime' was that a boy had asked for more food, he felt sorry for the boy. However, the master insisted that the policeman made an example of him so that the other boys would be afraid to ask for more themselves. So the policeman took Oliver away and he spent the night on the floor of a police cell until it was decided what would be done about him.