Law and Outlawry

Where it surfaces

• The Captain

  Captain Collyer represents the King's law against smuggling, while Denis asserts the Marsh's own laws and independence.

• A Bottle of Alsace Lorraine

  Captain Collyer's search for smuggled goods and Mipps's threats to report him highlight the tension between lawful authority and illicit trade.

• Doctor Syn Takes Cold

  Captain Collyer's mission to 'hang every smuggler on Romney Marsh' contrasts with the squire's denial of smuggling, highlighting tensions between official law and local realities.

• X: Doctor Syn Gives Some Advice

  The murder investigation and reward notice highlight the tension between lawful authority and criminal acts.

• XI: The Courthouse Inquiry

  The formal inquiry into Sennacherib Pepper's murder represents the law's attempt to impose order, yet the suspected murderer is a respected member of the community, blurring the line between lawful and outlaw.

• XII: The Captain Objects

  The chapter centers on a formal inquiry into murder, yet Captain Collyer's accusations and the squire's defense reveal tensions between official law and local Marsh justice.

• The End of the Inquiry

  The entire chapter revolves around the legal inquiry into the murder, with the lawyers' ineffective questioning and the hunt for the fugitive mulatto.

• XV: A Landed Proprietor Sets Up a Gallows Tree

  Jerk's desire to build a gibbet and his role as 'Hangman Jerk' reflect the tension between legal execution and personal vendetta.

• The Schoolmaster's Suit

  Rash threatens to use King's evidence to expose Imogene's friends, invoking the law as a weapon, while Imogene's father is described as a lawbreaker, contrasting legal authority with personal loyalty.

• XXI: The Bo'sun's Story

  The murder of Bill Spiker and the subsequent inquiry underscore the tension between lawful order and criminal violence.

• The Fight at Mill House Farm

  The chapter highlights the conflict between the King's men enforcing the law and the smugglers who are seen as hardworking fellows by the local populace, with the sailors reluctant to fight their own countrymen.

• Captain Collyer Entertains an Attorney from Rye

  Captain Collyer seeks legal means to arrest the smugglers, while the outlaws subvert the law by kidnapping the attorney and operating a secret bank.

• Adventures in Watchbell Street

  The Scarecrow's letter forces a lawyer to break the law, highlighting the tension between legal authority and the power of the smugglers.

• Scylla or Charybdis

  The Whyllies use coercion and deception to circumvent the legal authority of the press gang, forcing Captain Tuffton to sign documents under duress.

• Holding the Pulpit

  The confrontation between Syn and Captain Collyer, the surrounding redcoats, and Syn's confession to murder and smuggling highlight the clash between legal authority and criminal enterprise.