He did _not_ know private matters which took place at
the officers' mess, and it was upon these that my cross-examination
showed the Claimant to be an impostor. I "had him there."
As Parry and I were sitting one morning waiting for the Judges, I
remarked on the subject of the counsel chosen for the prosecution:
"Suppose, Parry, you and I had been Solicitor and Attorney-General, in
the circumstances what should we have done?"
"Plunged the country into a bloody war before now, I dare say," said
Parry, elevating his eyebrows and wig at the same time.
I confess when I undertook the responsibility of this great trial
I was not aware of the immense labour and responsibility it would
involve; nor do I believe any one had the smallest notion of the
magnitude of the task.
Instead of the work diminishing as we proceeded, it increased day by
day, and week by week; one set of witnesses entailed the calling
of another set. The case grew in difficulty and extent. It seemed
absolutely endless and hopeless.
Within a few weeks of the start, a necessity arose for procuring the
testimony of a witness from Australia, a matter of months; and the
trial being a criminal one, the defendant was entitled to have the
case for the prosecution concluded within a reasonable time. If we had
no evidence, it was to his advantage, and we had no right to detain
him for a year while we were trying to obtain it.
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