The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1892-09-17
s1EALINe ENoLANp.s oRowN

Perhaps one Of the most .daringly con-
ceived and executed robberies In history
is that which occurred In the year 1878,
when the bold attempt was made by
Col. Blood and his Hssociates' to get
away with the crown, orb and acepter
Of E4glish rotalty. One is almost
tempted to wish that the scheme, car
ried so far, had been, a. success feel
ing engenderedt no doubt, by the In
stinctive sympathy that humanity feels
with any who attempt daring deed.
Blood was no ordinaFy thief or bur-
glar. As his title. indicates, he had
served his King and his cotintry In the
army, and had been. p gallant officer.
His confederates were one Parrot, q silk
dyer, who had seen some fighting in
tho civil war between Roundheads and
Cavaliers, and - young. man named
! Hunt, q son-ihslaw of the colonel
Blood fancied he had a grievance
against the king, alleging that he had
not Been sufficiently paid for his serv-
Ices He had indulged In plots against
the king ardSthe DulCe-of ormonde-
which failing, he bethought himself Of
JllC CEOWhE lOW6Ah do OlACKlAK IACh
plumber as wal as his coveted revenge.
His planS was INGENIOUS. Attired in
parsons habit and accompanied by q
woman who posed as his wife, he visited
the Tower OF Londou,' and requested
to be shown The regalia, The warder,
a Mr. Edwards, received them oourte-
ously, and conducted them to the jewel
tower. While they were inspecting the
symbols of royalty the woman pre-
tended to be suddenly seized with Sc
we're pain and fell in faint. Sympa-
thetic yet cautious Edwards sent his
wife for restoratives, but did not leave
the apartment, Mrs. Blood soon recov-
cred sufficiently to be able to stand, but
rs she was still weak, she was invited
into the house to rest awhile. The
! ''parson" and his lady returned in three
or four days with gift of some gloves
as an evidence of gratitude tostheir
kindly hosts and from this sprang q
friendship and intimacy which ulti-
mately eliminated in the proposition
by blood of a match between his nephew
(really his son-in-law) and that pretty
gentlewomap, Edwards daughter. Ed
was immensely pleased with the idea,
and invited the parson and his wife to
dinner the next day, when the final ar
rangspentf,Were, to be made, ostensibly
for the engagementof the young people,
but in realitya Tor the theft of the regal
| teweisssH ScF Gst, KS 49,
At the hour appointed Col. Blood, his
nephew, and two friends, of whom
Parrot was one, appeared at the tower
and were met by Edwards with cor
dial greeting. Edwards was arrayed In
purple and fine linen for the occasion,
r,,ss we should put it nowadays, he
was gotten up regardless" To pass
the time until dinner was ready they
went into the jewel house, leaving the
nephew" at the door as sentinel
Once inside work was quickly begun.
"A cloak waatthrown over Edwards and
a wooden gag forced into his mouth, an
iron hook being used to close the nos
trils and prevent him from making the
slightest noise He was told that to
resist meant Sdeath, but nevertheless
he Kicked, struggled aud tried in every
way to give the alarm. He was then
knocked on lfhe head with mallet, a
dagger was plunged into his breast, and
the conspiratofs believed him dead,
One man pdttShs ggSBeinto his breeches
pocket, Blood hid the crown under his
cloak, and the third man tried desper-
ately to file the scepter in two, it bein (
too long to-, curry away in its entirety.
While all thisEwas going on Edwards
son, who h@ssjust returned from the
sea, reached, the tower. He was met by
the sentinel, who asked him his busi-
ness, to which Edwards replied that he
belonged to the house.. Supposing that
the young mar; wished to see his father,
the, warden, Edwards went upstairs
and promised to send his father down.
Hunt - the sentinel" - immediately
gave the alarm and the sconspira-
tors took fight. The old man
Edwards, who had only been feigning
death, Immediately pulled the gag from
his mouth. s. and yelled Murder!
Treasonw His daughter heard the out
cry and rushed to his side. Seeing her
father wounded she i'm mmediately ran
out; upon 70 Tower Hill and cried:
Treason! the crown lis stolen!'' The
alarm being thus given, Blood and his
companionS found themselves in dan.
ger. They npdgcd each others arms
and ithereBI'iaroused suspicion, where
upon they quickened their steps.
Youig EdfyaFds and an officer of the
Tower nahed Capt Beckman were by
this time oH the trail of the fugitives,
who had s& beyond the main guard.
The alarm was again given and the SEN
try tat the Arawbriige challenged tho
men. Blood drew pistol and dis
charged it at the soldier, who was so
terrified that he immediately dropped
At the ward house, for some unac-
countable reason, no effort was made
to stop the thieves, and they gained the
street They then led the mob in an
excited chase, after the miscreants,
meanwhile making their way towards
their horses, which were tied at St.
Catherine's gate. Young Edwards and
Beckman' were close at their heels,
however, aud Blood fired his pistol at
Beckman., Decknan lodged the shot
and Immediately grappled with his op-
poDent, FROM under, whose cloak he
wrested the crown. Edwards tackled
Parrot and took the globe from
him. HuntsRtid the other conspirator
however, hAd'bt6od not upon the order
of their going. apds had reached the
horses, hpont t9HicH they galloped away
A cart, however, turned abruptly In tn,
street ahesdYf them, and into this they
ran, Hunt being struck in the head by .
pole and dismounted. Both were cap
tured. The ending Of the story is as in
teresting as the beginning. The king