Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1873-08-08

CAPT. WELLS The fate of this unfortunate
individual has occupied and still occupies con-
siderable share ofpublic interest, connected with
his son, Frank Walworth, his parricidal and
most unnatural murderer Some notes of the
murdered man, and his antecedents, may not
be uninteresting to your readers:
The pictorial papers have most striking
likeness of the unfortunate Mansfield 7. Wal
worth, which recognized at once as q former
acquaintance, though not very intimate one
or of long duration. Just before our late civil
war broke out he came to Georgetown and took
board at the Union Hotel, where we, accident
ally as it Were became known to each other
He was then a clerk in one of the Departments,
and appeared to be single man. He was re-
markably intelligent and agreeable in CONVEX
sation, and was drinking very freely though he
never appeared to be, as far as I could see; the
least intoxicated At that time | had by no
means any objection to glass myself, and con-
sequently we had many drinks together. A
mong other things, he often mentioned and
seemed to dwell with good deal of pride and
satisfaction upon his unbroken and regular des-
cent from Sir William Walworth, Lord Mayor
of London, who was the principal cause Of sup
pressing formidable instruction, headed by
Wat Tyler and others, in the reign of Richard
II, by knocking Tyler off his horse in the pres
ence of the King and the numerous army of the
insurgents This affair is SO graphically relat-
ed by Sir John Froissart, in his chronicles, that
| cannot help referring to it. From this and
other authorities it appears that in the year
1881 King Richard II, then about twenty years
of age, having succeeded his grandfather, the
famous and warlike Edward III, who died in
1877, Sir William Walworth being Lord Mayor
of London, an Instruction arose among the
lower orders in Essex Suffolk, Cambridge,
Bedford, Warwick, Reading, Lancashire, Arun-
del, Guilford, Coventry, Lynne, Lincoln, York
and Durham. They numbered 60, 900 men and
were headed by Wat Tyler, maker Of tiles, "a
bad man and great enemy of the nobility"
John Ball, mad priest, and Jack Straw, and
with this rabble they invaded andtook London,
and murdered the Archbishop of Canterbury
and three ofhis principal priests seized on what
ever they liked, and plundered, eat and drank
promiscuously all over the city.
King Richard accompanied by the brave
Mayor WalWorth, was persuaded to conference
with Wat Tyler, and what followed is thus re-
lated by the grand old priest and chronicer,
Sir John Froissart, then in the best maturity
of his life:
GAS the King had finished speaking, Wat
Tyler, casting his eyes around him, spied
Squire attached to the King person, bearing
his sword. Tyler mortally hated this Squire
formerly they had had words together, when
the Squire ill-treated him.
"'What, art thou there, cried Tyler, give
me thy dagger
co! will not, said the Squire, why should
1.-THE King, turning to him, said 'Give'it
him, which he did, though much against his
will
"When Tyler took it he began to play with
it and turn it about in his hand, and again adj
dressing the Squire, said: Give me that sword
"I will not, replied the Squire, for it is
the Kings sword, and thou art not worthy to
bear it, who art but a mechanic, and if only
thou and were together thou wouldst not have
dared to say what thou hast for as large heap
of gold as this Church.
"'By my troth, answered Tyler I will not
eat this day until I have thy head
CAT these words the Mayor of London, Sir
William WalWorth, with about twelve more,
rode forward, armed under their robes, and
pushing through the crowd, saw Tyler's man
ner of behaving. Upon which the Mayor said:
'Scoundre1, how dare you thus behave before
the King, and utter such words? 1t is too inn
pudent for such as thou
''The King then began to be enraged and
said to the Mayor Lay hands On him.
"Whilst the King was giving this order, Ty-
Ter had addressed the Mayor, saying: Hey in
Gods name, what l have said, does it concern
thee? What dost thou mean?'
"'Truly,' replied the Mayor, who found HIM
self supported by the King, 'dost it become such
sinking rascal, as thou art, to use such speech
in the presence of the King, thy natural Lord?
will not live day, if thou pay not for it,
Upon this he drew a kind of scimetar, short
and broad backsword he wore, and struck Tyler
such blow on the head as felled him to his
horses feet.
"When he was down he was surrounded on
all sides so that his men could not see him, and
one of the Kings Squires, called John Stand
wich, Immediately leaped from his horse and
drawing handsome sword, which he wore,
thrust it into his belly and thus killed him."
Sir John Froissart's Chronicles Of England,
France, &c., UoI. l. page 662-John's translation.
T.