on 29 December with the purpose of petitioning the Governor to exercise his power to reprieve all the condemned youths. A deputation of 150 citizens attended the Governor in support of the hanging. They succeeded in having two more of the sentences commuted to life imprisonment, though their first three years were to be served in fetters. The remaining four—Read, Duffy, Martin, and Boyce—were to be hanged on 7 January 1887. Executions Some two thousand people were estimated to have massed outside the prison on the day, but only persons with reputable credentials were admitted to witness the executions. The executioner, Robert Howard, botched the hangings when he miscalculated the drop necessary for the youths. One died instantly but the remaining three struggled for several minutes. Aftermath The trial was dramatised in a 2012 ABC docudrama, the first of a three-part series entitled Australia on Trial. Presented by historian Michael Cathcart, the script was based on official court transcripts of the trial. Historian Brett Hinch traced the life of Mary Jane Hicks after the trial and documented that she moved to New Zealand, where she died six years later, aged 22. References Sources Gleeson, Kate. From Centenary to the Olympics, Gang Rape in Sydney. Peers, Juliet. Accept any Woman's Word? Rape and Republicanism. Crime in Sydney Gang rape in Oceania 1886 crimes in Australia 1886 in Australia 19th century in Sydney 1880s in Sydney Rape in Australia