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 were hurried, and by means of rackings and suspensions were forced to surrender whatever they possessed unless actually killed by the severity of the torture. Such was John's method of procedure at his own headquarters, but for the provinces he picked out emissaries of approved brutality, and despatched them into all districts with injunctions to follow his example. Under this régime the Court of Appeal of the Praetorian Prefect was, of course, as venal as that of the Emperor and Tribonian; and the formalities of a trial were almost dispensed with, so that a hasty dispatch of the cases might facilitate the gathering in of the bribes.