Year: 1869




Our readers have probably forgotten Rumble.
He was the respondent in the great case of
The Queen aqt. Rumble, of which we shall have
something to say presently, and which just
now is worth recalling. Rumble was an officer
in Her Majesty's dock-yard at Sheerness. Her
Majesty had an old gun-bOat called the Victor
which she wanted to sell, and firm in Lon
don pretended to buy her. She was taken out
of the dock-yard and rechristened the Scylla,
and everybody professed and swOre that she
was going to China. Instead of doing this she
started for Calais and on her way was re-
rechristened the RAPPAHANNOCK. Before she
sailed Rumble was on board experimenting
the repairs when she sailed Rumble followed
her with number of boiler-makers and other
artisans in his train. In short, Her Majesty's
superintendent took a great interest III this
Confederate war steamer, and for this, when
the Government for very shame was obliged
to do something, the unfortunate Rumble
found himself on trial in the Court of Queens
Bench. But nothing very intOlerable happened
to him there, as we shall see. There were one
hundred and ten counts in the indictment
against Rumble, charging him with shipping
men and assisting in the fitting out of the
Rappahannock but Her Maiesty's Solicitor
General was powerless against Rumble, clothed
in the panoply of virtuous British innocence


1t may be stated that upon the trial every
thing charged against Rumble was proved to
n demonstration. He did assist in fitting out
the ship. He did employ himself in engaging
and paying the men. Testimony similarly
strong in a case of murder would have hung
three score men and ten. His lawyers told the
Jury that this was case trumped up against
Rumble by the dastardly secret agents of the
Federal Government; and whenever the Lord
Chief Justice could confirm this view by drop
ping a word of nsinuation, he did not fail to
do so. The bold British witnesses were in
state of the most remarkable obfuscation.
There was Mr.. Zachary Pearson, to whom the
ship was Ostensibly sold, who was the most
forgetting man we ever heard Of He was like
poor Joe in "Bleak House ;" he didn't know
"nothinkr just so surely as he was asked a
question he answered / do not know Once,
his powers of memory seemed TO be quickened.
The Solicitor General having asked him if he
had sent the ConfedeTtes ships, he dolefully
answered: Eyes; and the Federals robbed me
"of my ships, and the Confederates robbed me
"of my money! Poor Mr.. Zachary Pearson!


The Solicitor General had rather hard time
of it. In the very middle of his argument
against Rumble, up rose British juryman.
probably anxious for his dinner. and said:
"My Lord, is it competent for us to express an
"opinion which might save q great deal of
time7 We have formed an opinion as to
whether the defendant was aware of the real
destination of the vessel and our opinion is
"that he iraS notr This bold British jury
were in such hurry to render verdict that
they could not wait to hear Mr.. Solicitor out.
why" said he, in dismay, "that is the very
point upon which l was about to address
"you!" Mr.. Solicitor was firm. He insisted
that the jury should listen, and, greatly to
their discomfort, they were obliged to do it.


But the time for the eager jurymen to relieve
themselves was rapidly approaching. The Lord
Chief Justice gave the customary see-saw charge,
only that he "see'd" rather more for Rumble
than he "saw'd" for the Crown. He warmed
up, however when he came to speak of the
nefarious conduct of tho American agent, in
giving some witnesses for the prosecution GER
tain pots of beer Upon this point, his LordShp
could free his mind without danger, and he
this treating unlimited, extTav-
" agant debauchery." This was quite enough to
dlscredit some of the mostimpOrtant witnesses,
and we suppose that his Lordship knew that it
would be. The jury, it is reported listened to
the charge with the utmost attention (having
made up their minds) and acquitted
the persecuted Rumble without leaving their