The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1893-12-17
VIII 1! :. a YRS

warrant which Mcdjc,sa uses In the play
Is an exact COPY ot the original instrumen,
ana concerning 4, the following story Is
tolds
Careful search has revealed the fact that
in the archives OF the English state DEPART
ment there Is no trace OF the warrant by
yirtuo OF which this unhappy lady lost
her head. Il Is known that after signing
the warrant. witch was prepared for her
signature BY her secretary. Mr. Davidson.
Queen Elizabeth returned 1t to him with
instructions to hold until such dime as
she should send for it Burleikh and
.Sgaisiugham induced Davidson to turn
the warrant over to Colonel Sir Francis
Nolan, almost Immediately after Il was
entrusted to his care. Whether or not
Colonel Nolan returned t TO queen Eliza
beth or 70 her secretary. Is not known.
but the fact remains that ali trace Of the
oriEinal document had mysteriousiy dis
appeared. Davidson. however, had made
COPY OF the warrant, which was pub
lished In his biography by Phnlipson.
The only copy OF this work known to
exist at the present time is In the Brit
ish museum, which IN the absence OF the
original warrant IS guarded saeredly.
when Modest was in London last year
sac obtained permission from the superin-
tehaent to have fac-simile Of tie death
warrant made. and this she viii exhibit In
the lobby Of the opera house. Tho warrant.
as 1t appears In the museum. Is on three
Of four pages. but ModJeska engaged the
services of an eminent bIbllopnne, who
put the document into the shape in which
It originally appeared, SO that the copy
she exhibits is the only historically COR
rect one OF IT'S kind in existence.
As matter OF history, the following Is
given;
Rebsrs wlngneld. an ancestor OF the late /
Hon Lewis Wingheld, who mhde the
adaptation Of Schiilers great tragedy. 4
'Aiary STUART which AIodjeska presents. I
was an eye witness 70 the execution OF !
Mary, Queen Of Scotland II is matter I
% history that prior % her removal 10
F1th0rugay castle she was imprisoned 1
az the Niugieid maror. This was IN .
ISL Mary mas condemned 10 death and .
sentence passed in 1856 loid style) and was
executed Ia the great h0il AZ Fqtheringay
,astle iu the presence Of 2 distinguished
February S, ISL. There have
1eEn conflicting accounts about the execu-
Jon, and history In general says that
Mays head was struck on with two
liowu of the Ak. but according 70 Robert
NingGeld, this WIS not ehe case. The
execution was conducted by a common
ianginan from LONDON named Bull and
ie was SO nervous he made a very bung-
Ing job % taking on the royal head, The
-rst blow was ineffective, but the second
vas better, although the ak struck be-
weeu the shoulders and 1t required a
hird. and even a fourth blow 10 sever
he head az the unfortunate queen After
3uil did succeed In decaplfating her. he
'icked up the head and remarked that il
gas the head Of o traitor" She was
srried into an adjoining room and hastily
mbalmed- and laii upon a table covered
siJh an old piece Of billiard cloth, and
flowed TO remain there Tor nearly nipety
ays and il was not until the following
august that her royal cousin saw 81 to
ave her decently buried, which WAS done