The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1885-01-29
Two Notable Events.

The plot to blow up the Houses of Par
lament and the Tower of London, on Sat
urday last, was well concocted scheme to
make short work of the undertaking and
have simultaneous explosions. There were
only few minutes intervening between
the several reports, although the Tower
and the Westminster buildings are sew
eral miles apart. Westminster Hall is
one of the most imposing and impressing
ornamented buildings in the world, and as
a work of art is unsurpassed. The Houses
of Parliament, Immediately contiguous,
when, us IL rule, neither the House of
Commons nor the House of Peers sits, the
legislative chambers are visited by thou
sands of sight-seers, men, women, and
children. st. Stephens noble hall is
thronged by consulting counsel, and the
great Central Hall which divides the two
houses Of Parliament swarms with inno-
cent people who find a pleasure in gazing
at the statues and the great high panellng.
These facts the dynamiters must have
known, and therefore their crime stands
unequaled for monstrosity in this century.
So with the famous Tower of London or
the Palatine Tower to the east of the city
on the left bank of the Thames, which about
here begins to take a long curve from the
east to the south tillsit runs due south and
north past the houses of Parliament along
the famous Victoria embankment. From
its age, for it dates from the time Of Julius
Caesar from it's historical associations, for
here it was that old English kings and
queens lived and died, were imprisoned
and executed, and from the fact that here
it is that there are the crown jewels OF the
kingdom and one of the finest collections
of medieval arms in the world, the Tower
has become one of the most popular and
instructive places of interest in England.
The attempt to destroy this cluster of
imposing structures, regardless OF the
innocent, recalls the only previous con-
spiracy OF similar kind, tEat OF the
famous plot of Guy Fawlles, who was eX-
ecuted in London. Jan. 80, 1906. The c1r-
cumstances attending this plot are given
by an exchange. Guy Fawkes, Il soldier
of fortune, was serving in the Spanish
army in the Netherlands, when early in
1904 the scheme of blowing up the Parlia-
ment House with gunpowder, and thus de-
stroying at blow the King, Lords and
Commons. was conceived by Robert Coles
nv. a Roman Catholic of ancient and Opu-
lent family. 1t was intended thus to take
vengeance for the severity of the penal laws
against Catholics, a relaxation of which
had been vainly expected on the accession
of James. Fawkes was perhaps the fourth
erson admitted into the cons piracy and
returned to England in May, 1904. having
been selected as useful coadjutor by
Thomas Winter, who had gone on fruit
less mission to solicit the intervention OF
the Spanish King in behalf of the English
Catholics.
Thomas Percy, one of the confederates,
rented a house adjoining that in which
Parliament was to assemble, of which
Fawkes. who was unknown in London.
took possession under the assumed name
of johnson. Parliament Was soon after
adjourned till February I, 1905, and on
December II preceding. the conspiratOrs
secretly met in the hired house of Percy.
and began to eXcavate q mine. Seven
men were thus occupied until Christmas
Eve, never appearing in the upper part of
the house. while Fawkes kept constant
watch above. Parliament was again pro-
rogued from February to October 3. and
the conspirators therefore dispersed for a
time. but completed their arrangements