The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1876-08-01
ROMANCE OF HISTORY.

.
Kingdom Of Denmark, was ia q state Of
intense excitement
From al carly LOIF - tbs morning
the street acre crowded with peopl~.
who gathered IN gr0up=. discussing in
al exeit'd msn4er Il subject which
seem. & :. b upl~ruo,, IN the MINDS of'
all
Whst ~i.i h. hi. sentence :" asked
sturdy bufg1tr W,ll il b. the
sword "a the halter
Msybe ~oul'thing wor~.. ali an.
other high treason Il an 'fensr that
is never punished lightly
The poor Count exclaimed All old
man Il knew his father we'll. He
was a bl.nefsc.or % the poor Of Copen-
hagen /; j. sorry day for Us that
such q < cd man shonld bc involved in
such iroub bic
What say YOU - said royal hai-
bert man. 50 you sympathise with
the traitor Steinevelde! Come along
to the lookup. You shall he punished
for your traitorous talk"
The crowd did not venture to resist
this act of violence. For those were
days Of sore oppression in Denmark.
The King, Erie the Second, was Ii
ceutious tyrant. Those who opposed
his slightest whims were sure TO meet
with cruel punishment
Many good man, upon whose wife
the King bad cast his eyes. had myste-
riously disappeared, victim to a gang
Of official assassins whom he employed
to get rid If persons obnoxious To him.
and whose chief was the cruel and reck-
less Baron Ryskoe
In 1875 Ere had fallen in love with
the young Countess Stemevelde, wife Of
the richest and most esteemed nobleman
in Denmark.
The King tried 10 visit the handsome
lady privately. at her husbands coun-
try-sest, LariDgare.
The Count Stemev,lde had caught
the King at the door. He hurled him
back exclaiming: My wife's honor
cannot be touched even by the King
himself Z"
Erie was furious IIo left Livingare
abruptly, and returned to Copenha-
gen.
On the following day Baron Ryskoe
arrested Count S,emevelde on a charge
ef high treason and iese majestic
lie was loaded With chains and thrust
into.a lca,hesome dungeon.
Three Judges. servile tools of tho
King. were appointed by the latter to
try the prisoner
Count Stemcvclde was accused Of
having attempted TO subvert the Danish
dynasty, and of having endcavored to
murder his Majesty the King
Upon these two counts ho was found
guilty, notwithstanding his indignant
protests and the 2d Of July was ap-
pointed as the day on which he was 10
receive his doom.
He vainly implored the Judges to
inform him of his fate. They refused.
saying that his Majesty the King had
alone the power 10 reverse the decision
or aggravate the punishment Ia be in
flic'cd on him.
When the clock on the s'eeple of ST.
Anna's Cathedral struck 10 the vast
market-place of Copenhagen WAS filled
with u surging crowd An estrade. COW
cred with crimson velvet. had been
erected ON the eastern side of the place.
There the Judges of tho unfortunate
Count seated themselves Shortly
after. the royal court arrived. King
Eric was dressed IN the curious style of
the period. BY his side was his
naughty wife, Margaret. Princess of
Sweden One hundred courtiers ac-
companied them.
\ few minutes later widely differ
ent procession made its appearance.
IL was the royal hangmsn, with his
eight assistants. who surrounded the
illustrioas prisoner. The latter was
almost naked a hempen rag was tied
round his Ions: his hands and legs
were ironed He looked extremely de-
jected. The headsman led him to the
estrsde upon which the judges were
seated.
The President IF the Court. Arens
Nelson. stood up aud rad from .
parchment the following:
Lawrence Stemeycltie. you are
guilty of high treason, and of the
abouins be oifrnse Of having laid your
impious hands on the appointed Of the
Lo,d, HIS Royal Majesty King Eric
the S.eotd. If Denmark. whom God
may preserve.
IL Fri, 4 ~ eofIup, u,y Wife :" in
ter - Il Count St,na,vride.
Silence thuudered the rresiden.
of The Court lTca ls,nan. YOU will
gag the p,,~oner If he attempts 10 utter
another word
Slhen he proceeded I, read from the
parchment rs follows.
For these grave crimes. Lawrence
Stemevelde. you are sentenced 10 su:f,r
death"
There wasa loud mnrmor in the vast
crowd. The prisoner hund his head.
We wanted to have YOU broken on
the wheel. continued the President.
hut his Majesty the King. considering
the enormlty of your mis- leeds. has de
creed that you shall be drawn to pieces
by four horses :,
Upon hearing these dreadful words
Count stomcvelde sank tn the ground
with groan Of despair
There was sympathetic movement in
the immense audience.
King Erie. smiling maliciously. al once
stepped forward
iIeadsman, he sid. 'have YOU your
horses ready"
have. your Majesty" replied the
execut,oner.
Then execute the sentence Of the
Court"