Fitzwilliam refused to let Bingham confront his accusers at Galway, lest the terror of his presence should silence them. The result was that their uncontradicted statements were sent over to England, and Walsingham's wrath was hot within him. The unfairness of the procedure was evident, the reason for it much less so. 'It may fall out, my Lord Deputy, to be your own case, for it is no new thing in that realm to have deputies accused.' Considering Walsingham's evident prejudice against him, Fitzwilliam suggested that the Queen should give him a successor. The trial of the case was removed to Dublin; and the Lord Deputy foretold that no Connaught chief would go there to accuse Bingham. If fear did not prevent such a journey, poverty would. And so it turned out. Much was proved against inferior officers, and there can be no doubt that the Governor of Connaught was apt to shield useful underlings under almost any circumstances. That he was guilty of extreme severity, and that he executed children who were retained as hostages, is probably true. But he managed the province well, and got a large revenue out of it. And it is certain that he had friends among the Irish as well as enemies. Among these was Roger O'Flaherty, grandfather of the author of _Ogygia_. This Roger owned the castle and lands of Moycullen, and had long complained of Sir Murrogh's usurpations. It seems that he was satisfied, for he wrote strongly in the Governor's favour, who also befriended him with the English Government. Sir Murrogh was an enterprising man, and never made the impossible attempt to prove his title to land. 'Why, man,' he told his own counsel, 'I got it by the sword; what title should I say else?' Bingham was an absolute ruler. Opposition he checked ruthlessly, and he cared little for constitutional forms. He took no pains to conciliate anyone, and was of course accused of provoking men to rebel. Nor did he care to disguise his opinion that many of the Irish ought to be rooted out. Perhaps the worst charge against him is that made by Fitzwilliam, who called him an atheist, 'for that he careth not what he doeth, nor to say anything how untrue soever, so it may serve his turn.'[199] [Sidenote: Bingham and Bishop Jones.]