Translate "Consumare a lungo"

[amasi3]

I am trying to translate an article that my great-great grandfather wrote in 1890. He details how he and his colleagues, who were elementary school teachers in Forenza (PZ), have been without salary for three years and are suffering from hunger.

My trisnonno writes of his journey to the capoluogo of Potenza and the outcome of his appeal to the Provveditore.

I am hoping to come up with a good English translation for the following sentence:

<< Mi fecero consumare a lungo i gradini della Prefettura, e dopo otto giorni ecco finalmente il verdetto: ... >>

The full article can be read here, on pg. 474 in Vol. 30:
https://books.google.com/books?id=XfSxC ... ia&f=false

[bbivona]

They repeatedly made me go up the steps of the office of the prefect, and after eight days there was finally a verdict: ...