Marcus Clarke

“ John Rex, the ringleader, was related, it was said, to a noble family, and a special message had come out to Sir John Franklin concerning him. He had every prospect of being satisfactorily hung, however, for even the most outspoken admirers of his skill and courage could not but admit that he had committed an offence which was death by the law. The Crown would leave nothing undone to convict him, and the already crowded prison was re-crammed with half a dozen life sentence men, brought up from Port Arthur to identify the prisoners. ”

“ The convict himself was an inveterate liar and schemer, and his story had been already disproved by Captain Frere."
The judge, a man inclining by nature to humanity, but forced by experience to receive all statements of prisoners with caution, said all he could say, and the tragedy of five years was disposed of in the following dialogue:-
Judge: This is not the place for an accusation against Captain Frere, nor the place to argue upon your alleged wrongs. If you have suffered injustice, the authorities will hear your complaint, and redress it.
Rufus Dawes I have complained, your Honour. ”

“ Judge I can't listen to you. Mr. Mangles, have you any more questions to ask the witness?
But Mr. Mangles not having any more, someone called, "Matthew Gabbett," and Rufus Dawes, still endeavouring to speak, was clanked away with, amid a buzz of remark and surmise.
*⁠*⁠*⁠*⁠*⁠*
The trial progressed without further incident. Sylvia was not called, and, to the astonishment of many of his enemies, Captain Frere went into the witness-box and generously spoke in favour of John Rex. "He might have left us to starve," Frere said; "he might have murdered us; we were completely in his power. ”

“ And then she pressed her hands over her eyes and shuddered. "There, there," says Vickers soothingly, "don't be afraid, Poppet; he can't hurt you now."
"No, ha! ha!" says Meekin, with great display of off-hand courage, "the villain's safe enough now."
The colloquy in the Court went on. "Do you know the prisoners in the dock?"
"Yes." "Who are they?"
"John Rex, Henry Shiers, James Lesly, and, and—I'm not sure about the last man."
"You are not sure about the last man. Will you swear to the three others?" ”