Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-01-31
TOWER OF LONDON
Historical Facts That Escape
Superficial Observation.

Historical Facts That Escape
Superficial Observation
What Knowing Visitor May SEQ and
Learn II He Keeps His Eyes and Ears
| OPen-The White Tower and Its
Dungeons Boleyn's Bones.
To describe the Tower Of London in detail
is absolutely unnecessary-it is too well
known as whole, but there are interest
ing little facts not generally realized by the
public, and there are hooks usually unvisit-
ed. 1t was my good fortune on a recent
day, says writer in the London Echo. to
gocare1ully around this grand old pile with
special order from General Milman, the
resident Governor. Passingby the Traitors
Gate, went into the Bloody Tower, in a
room In which found myself standing on
the very spot wherein were imprisoned the
two little Princes, and from the window of
| which centuries after Archbishop Laud
leaned out to bless Lord Stafford as he
| passed to death upon the scaffold just be-
| yond An old, old room this, full of historic
interest, and now inhabited by one of the
| picturesquely-attir beef-eaters. st. Johns
| Church, one of the oldest Norman churches
in the kingdom, built in 1857, is too well
! known to require description, SO VIII pass
| on to the armory departments, where l saw
Lord Wolseiey going round on an evident
business Inspection.
In passing down . staircase in this
White tower, wherein is kept this armory,
and IN which is placed stand of fifty thou
sand modern rifles, 1 noticed the enormous
thickness OF the splendid walls, and on IN
quiring l was informed that they
were fifteen feet in depth. Be-
meath the White Tower are the
dungeons, which are never shown
to the general public. Here is an eternal
twilight, musty smell, an icy chilliness.
The first one, pure Norman in its architect
ure, IS called the Torture chamber, for here
were stretched upon the rack the miserable
victims Of political necessity or religious
bigotry. In very narrow passage leading
out OF this great chamber, and which is
known by the name of Little Ease, because
in it prisoner could neither sit nor lie
down, was YEARLY imprisoned the mis-
guided Guy Fawkes In the pitch dark
dungeon beyond, which has no flooring but
the damp, cold earth, were once imprisoned
three hundred Jews, who in the thirteenth
century were suspected Of the crime of
clipping coin. A dreadful place this, and
hideously suggestive of the undreamed of
horrors of these ''good old days Of yore."
The door-an old oaken one, iron bound,
and immensely strong shut off these poor
wretches from all communication with the
outer world
In this dungeon, or series Of dungeons,
was recently discovered a very deep well,
into which we fearfully peeped. From the
dungeon to the church is but short step;
Ia the old days the journey was usually
made from the latter to the former. St.
Peters dates from 1272; it is full of the
-saddest, tenderest interest; within it's
dingy walls and beneath it's historic pave
Inents there lie the bodies of three of En-
glands Queens. Ruskin finely says of this
church that sit is the saddest spot in
Christendom, for here are buried in dis
honor the greatest in the land, while at
lWestmin ster Abbey they are buried in
honor most tou ching and suggestive
contrast. Most of the beautiful brasses
were removed in Cromwell time
J was deeply interested to hear that in re-
pairing the chancel in 1877 there was dis
covered the body of Anne Boleyn, which
was recognized by the historically tiny
neck, and by the fact that the body lay just
in the spot described in the burial registry;
also were discovered the bones of big
man, which belonged without doubt to the
Inflated Duke of Monmouth. These were
reverently reburied in their long, long rest
ing-place.
Upon the wall, and preserved within a
glass case, l saw the three coffin plates Of
the noblemen last decapitated upon
Tower Hill-Lords Kimarnock, Lovat and
Balmerino. The inscriptions were all in
Latin, and that upon Lord Balmerino's
TO, oil A ~ do
Balmerino, decollatus IS die August, 1746
Etatis sue S." The very plain little font
dates back to the reign of Edward Ill
Not satisfied with MY mornings round l
went the next night to have a chat with the
deputy chaplain of the tower, Mr.. Foster,
who told me many interesting little facts,
some of which are mentioned above. To
my surprise he IN formed me that the tower
is not supposed to be haunted, nor Is there
any ghostly tradition hanging round this
spot Just before eleven he and [
stepped out into the cool night air. A
wild, windy night, clouds chasing each
other over the moon, whose misty, watery
rays fell upon that ancient Norman
keep. Just at my hand, and rallied off, was
the very spot wherein was lifted SO often
'the axes keener edge" 1t was upon this
very spot and from yonder Identical win
dow shining white in the moonshine, that
Lady Jane Grey, the nine-days Queen,
gazed as her husband slowly passed to his
death; for she was imprisoned in the house
of Mr.. Partridge, the gentleman jaller,
wherein now resides the official who to this
day bears the same title.
But the silence, pregnant with such mem
cries, is suddenly broken by the clash of
arms, the tramp of feet and the hoarse cry
of military command In the fitful light we
see small body of soldiers drawn up, and
beneath the Bloody Tower comes the guard
preceded by warder bearing the keys.
sHalt,n cries the officer in command: ''who
comes there's" Keys" is the immediate
response Whose keys2' '.Queen Vic
torias keys" Present arms" ''God pre-
serve Queen Victoria" Amen is the
clear, deep answer of all the soldiers.
Every night for untold years had this
ceremony taken place. 1t is over now.
Thoughtfully l wend my way past the
Traitors gate. beneath which the water is
mournfully tapping, and. passing out of the
grand old gates, leave historybehind, only
to plunge into the vast weird Babylon Of
this nineteenth century.