The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1877-10-28
NUMBER So.
GERvAsE
@@QsEMeveMsERR,
An Episode of the i7th Century.
THEODORE HOWARD GALLON
tContinued.
CHAPTER XVIII.
The Trial.

When Judge Atkins took his seat upon the
bench In the Clown Court on Tuesday, the
10th OF April, the whole place was thronged to
excess with persons DESTROYS Of witnessing the
trial OF the so-culled Jesuitloal priest.
The judge himself was sharp featured
man with bushy eyebrows, to whom oven the
| full bottomed curly periwig and the scarlet
robes failed to impart air of true dignity.
| He came on Circuit prepossessed with the pre-
VaiiiDg anti-papisticSl mania of the day, de-
ktermined to do his utmost to stamp out the
| Plot in the district assigned to him. Tho
| crowd in the great ball of the courthouse was
so dense that only comparatively small
number could be accommodated within the
precincts Of the court itself aud It required all
the vigilance of the sheriff's javel IN en- aud the
] ushers to keep decent order at the gAnRways
The charge to the Grand Jury was chiefly co.
copied With the one subject nppermost In the
popular imagination, and their first attention
was called to the necessity of finding o true
bill against Francis johnson under on indict-
ment for high-treason; the eeoond count
thereof averripG that being born within the
domnions ct the Grown of England he had ts-
ken Orders in the Church of Rome, and had
come over hither from beyond the sea TO
preach and publish the doctrincs of tho said
Church, refusing to take the oaths of ALI
glance and supremacy, whereby he vas guilty
OF treason under the 9th Elizabeth, chap ii.
There were other counts alleging that he had
said Mass and heard coDfessons, that be had
moved others to promise obedience to the Sec
of Rome that he was Jesuit, and on an
der any of which counts ito would bs guilty
VA tiSusou uhuoL IDo bAhAukro u Et'EdDetu anu
James /.
On the Grand Jury were all the leading Pro.
testant gentry of the county. including Sir
John Pakington and Mr. Townshend. Il wss
not until after they retired to consult upon
the bills laid before them, that a certain mum
Der OF ladies and otter frieL DIS of the high
sheriff were admitted into the mRgsteriaI
bebcheS on either side Of the judges seSt.
Among these wSs Dame Dorothy P4kinRton,
who could not refrain from witnessing the
most important event of the assze, and who
ia T.
and bis wife, and by some other ladies among
whom were Dora Townsend and Clara Finch.
The Grand Jury consumed some time In
finding their first bill, and 1t was long after
the usual formalities were completed, that the
foreman came In and presented q true bill
against Francis Johnson, alias John Wall, for
b gh treason.
Clara, who was pale as death, felt q cold
pass through her heart the words
were uttered She wore q voil as before, bat
raised IL when the judge called upon the cfi-
Ger stationed by tho prisoners dock to bring
up Francis Josnson tor trial. There .
lUod sound OF yells and cries on tsids the court
az the prisoner WAS being led through the Fsb-
BILE to tee gang and ia the court Itself
there Was suppressed groan as the jAyeIin-
men opened a way Tor the myTHidUns of the
ysoier to conduct their victim TO the dock.
Father Joachim looked pale and emAciated
Ifter bis long conf lement, but there no
appearance Of fear IN his beautiful ooaste-
lance, and as he iooaed mp towards the judge
lara sought TO catch his eye, and almost
lance which hU cast upon the bench. How
ver, If he bad perceived her lie showed no
gns of IL, bot, ~ If anxious to avoid gazing
pom the feminine portion of the audience,
aFaed down his eyes and waited the charge,
o which he replied By the customary form Of
OF gully
After the petty Jury had bsen impsueiied
nd worn, the COUNSEL for the Crown opened
no proceedings by q violent address referring
D the disclosures of Titus Oates, and the votes
T the Houses of Parliament, SVerriDg that
10 realm was iDPeTilled By the presence Of
Opish priests, who, contrary to the statutes,
ere secretly carrying on their schemes for
10 subVersion Of the PrOtGs.ant religion in
very shire, and were plotting for the down
III Of the monarchy. He recspitulRted the
trocious cslumDies current in London, touch
10 the pretended fires aud nassAcrea which
ere 10 have preceded the outbreak Of the con-
piracy, and finally called upon the jury to do
cir duty in condemning one whom lie would
,oVe by the evidence Of credible witnesses TO
, q Jesuitical prisat and consequently trAl-
r to bis country. He said be shoaId produce
fore them the testimony Of ut least four
illnesses, of whom three were IN willing and
erefore most reliable rs TO such facts ~
aid be extorted from them. The fourth, be
i'd, came of his own accord and waa q most
portsnt ard decisive wltnesa. He had been
mself brought up in the darkness and super
tious OF Popery, from which he had happily
come emanciP sted and was now, he beloved,
good aud honest Protestant. This man
,uld be abls TO speak 70 the fact of the
isopef being priest, for he had himself been
der his thraldom, and had confessed to him
seen him say Mas. He had also been
TeTeiy rated by bin for deOertiDg his fsrmer