Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-07-02
NARY A BROTHER,
Al Episode of History.

Probably no public man seeking
brief repose from the tolls and perils
Of statecraft, ever laid his head upon
a pillow with a profounder sense Of
security than did James Stuart, Earl
of Murray and regent of Scotland,
on the night of January y, 1869. He
was king in all but the royal title and
insignia. One by one his foes had
been swept from his path by policy OIL
force, and success had proved an ano-
dyne potent enough to still the stings
of conscience, and now, on his all but
royal progress from the west to Edin-
burgh, he was surrounded by partisans
true as steel, and by an escort armed
to the teeth. He had halted at the
palace of Linlithgow, the birthplace Of
his unhappy sister, Mary Stuart, whose
fallen fortunes had been his stepping
stones to power. Within call, in case
of need, were the Douglas,
"Eyer faithful and true"
the fierce Lord Lindsay, of the Byres;
Kirkaldy of the Grange, a proved war
rior; the savage Morton, one of Riz-
zio's assassins, and Glencairn, than
whom a more gallant chieftain never
wore eagles plume and claymOre. In
the courtyard of the palace bivouacked
a steel-clad body of horse, mingled
with the Macfarlanes,
"Al plaided and plumed in their tartan ar
ray"
Murray early on the morrow was in
the saddle, heading the gallant mill
tary array which swept through the
streets of Linlithgow, 'along the lines
of houses gay with banners and tapes
try. The regent looked every inch
a king as he refined his charger with
knightly grace and bowed to the de-
lighted multitude until the plumes of
his helmet mingled with the curves of
his horses name. Suddenly a sharp
defamation rang on the keen winter air
"a death-note
"The death shot parts, the charger springs,
Loud rises Tumult's startling roar,
And Murray's plumy helmet rings
Rings on the ground, to rise nc more y
Shouts of treason" =" Murder p
" Vengeance !" burst from the regents
staff, and the house from which the
shot had been fired was instantly and
fercely assailed but its iron-bound
doors and window shutters resisted
long enough to give the assassin time
to mount a black horse at the back OF
the building and escape, hotly pur-
sued, however.
Once the fugitiye's steed backed at
the edge of a deep ditch, but the
rider drove his dagger into the ami
mails side, and forced him to the des-
perate leap which sa red his masters
life. Some of the bafled and frenzied
pursuers thought they identified the
assassin as Hamilton of Boutwell,
haugh, and they were not mistaken.
But who was Hamilton of Boutwell,
haugh, and why had he taken the re-
gents life?
lie had been a partisan OF Mary
Stuart, and fought beneath her banner
until it was trampled in the dust OF
the fatal field of Langside. He owed
his life to the clemency of the regent,
but Murray had bestowed Hamilton's
house on one Of his favorites, Sir
James Bellenden. The latter had
turned out Bothwellhaugh's wife and
baby to perish in a bitter winter
night, and the bereaved husband and
father swore an awful oath to be
avenged, not on the immediate author
of the tragedy, but on his friend and
patron, the Regent of Scotland.
When he learned that Murray was
to pass through Linlithgow, Hamilton
took possession of a loom in an old
house opening on a wooden gallery
over the main street. He hung the
room with black drapery, so that his
shadow might not be seen streWed
the floor with his bed clothes, to dead.
en- his footballs prepared his horse
the gift of a kinsman, for fight bar.
ricaded the doors and windows, anC
then, with his weapon, a rifed match.
lock, waited for his victim as calmly
as if he were only stalking an antlerec
stag in the forest Of G~lenartney. HI
had expected that the regent would
ride in silken holiday attire, but Muir.
ray was sheathed from head to heel in
Milan plate armor, p%ervious at one
point only, a c%revice where the cuiras.
Joined the thigh-piece. The bullet
passed through the regents body, ana
killed the horse of Douglas, who was
riding beside him-marvelous shot t.
be projected by a clumsy matchbox.
Hamilton, of Bothwellhaugh, aided
by his powerful kinsman, who thought
none the worse of him for a deed con.
sOnant with the spirit of an age in
which revenge was virtue, readily es
capped to France, where he was warmly
welcomed by the Ggises, who exglteC
in the death of Mary Stuarts brother
and foe but when Catherine de Medi
els sought to induce him TO murdeI
the Protestant Admiral de Coligny. sh,
found she had utterly mistaken N,
character Of the man,
II you seek q soldier, madame
he sald, my arm Is at your service
but, 1t an assassin, you must emplo,
one OF your Italian braVi. / slew my
enemy for sufficient cause, but have
no warrant to take up the trade o.
murder"
Hamilton died in France.
Lincoln and Dan Rioe.