The Irish standard., 1894-01-27
MINNEAPOLIS AND ST. PAUL SATURDAY, JANUARY ~ 1894

the next opening OF parliament, as some
thing terrible would surely befall those
present. The letter was handed over tt
the council. through whom it eventually
reached the king. A magistrate OF the
district named Thomas Knevet was or
dered to search the vaults, but no report
was then made public. In the mean
time the conep,rators were warned f ON
some vague source that all had been dis.
covered. This they refused to believe
and held their ground.
Toward midnight of the 4th Of Novem-
ber, 1905. g surprise party, including tbs
aforementioned magistrate, swooped
down on the vault and also surrounded
the entire building. Fawkes was dis
covered waiting alone near a train OF
powder. with touchwood and a tinder
box in his hand and match about his
person. He was captured, bound, and
taken to prison. Under the pile of
stones and wood were discovered large
number of barrels containing gunpow.
der.
During the public excitement that fol-
lowed this unexpected denouement to
the great conspiracy the remainder Of
! the plotters fed in trepidation to the in
terror, thinking all would be known. In
| this way they were traced, hunted down,
and either taken prisoners or killed
| ehere found.
| Guy Fawkes, who was tried at White
hall and found guilty, strove to remain
loyal to his confederates in the move
ment by not betraying their identity, but
he was tortured finally into making a
full confession. ALI were caught and
condemned to be barged aud quartered.
Fawkes was the last to go on the scat
fold. and from the platform made short
address, in which he asked pardon Of
! the king and the nation for his intended
villainy.
It is this significant event in English
history that the people of Br tam join In
celebrating every 9th Of November by
the crash of bombs, miniature representa-
tions Of the plotted explosion, and the
hanging in etfigy Of Guy Fawkes from
almost every street corner iamppost.
Nov. is pre- eminently the youngsters
day. II is to the embryotic Briton what
the Fourth of July is to "young Amer
ica.'' Tt is the one day of the year by
common assent set apart when the snail
boy may give free vent 10 the exuber-
ance Of his Juvenile spirits. He may
shoot irecrscksrs, yell his lungs hoarse,
disigure his features, blow off his lin.
gers, play pranks, and be noisy nuis-
ance in general without fear of anyone
gainsaying his right to do as he pleases.
And this annual privilege is religlously
taken advantage OF aud valiantly de-
Tended from all mitigating encroachments
with all the zeal that the small boy can
command.
For this one reason if for nc other
there is little danger of the observance
Of the great national anniversary falling
[into disuse. The Anglo-Saxon small
boy hasn't it in him to let die out such
a glorious privilege ct going wild. II
there had never been q bold, bad man by
the name Of Guy Fswkes young Eng
land" would come near finding life unen-
! durable. It is merely the fun it affords
that causes him to cherish the day with
delight, without any consideration of it's
remote significance. -...
In truth, the young Briton knows little
ard cares still less about King James I.
and his perilous escape. To him it is
simply "Guy Fawkes' day"--to use his
own version-and only associated with
pleasant ideas of bursting bombs toy
cannons, and bonfres, together with the
hanging on lamppost and the tinai
casting into the flames, around which he
dances with impish glee, Of a pair OF
etuffed pants, with a hideous mask stuck
most inappropriateIy somewhere in the
neighborhood Of the wa1stband to repre-
sent the face Of the consummate villain.
The rest are all Incidents merely for the
history class at school. 81 d
Tie streets OF England are resonant
every 9TH OF November for centuries
past with the small boys gleefnl ditty:
Gunpowder plot
Will never be forgot
While old England
+ Stands on q rock.
The New York Sun says that the a. 2.
AS Of Brooklyn object to the custom CT
decorating the city hall and other public
buildings with foreign flags on holidays
and other occasions. A committee filed