Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1894-01-26

OAo OANk
servant fell on his knees. and implored his
majesty to forego his determination, de-
claring his inability to obey his kings
command: Turning to the count, the king
babe him open the door,. ":Your majesty
can bear me Witness" said Brahe, "sthatI
have always done my duty in defense of
my king and country. I fear no mortal
Zoe, but l confess I have no courage to
face those of another world, in whose aw-
full presence we evidently stand"
The physician likewise showed his IT,
nudity or unwillingness, whereupon the
king snatched the key from the hand of
the seneschal, exclaiming, 81 perceive that
these things concern myself alone!' With
out further hesitation he opened the door
and crossed the threshold, his attendants
following, in fear and trembling, but
ashamed to desert their master.
A parliament was in full session, and the
vast hall was crowded with people. None
looked at or seemed to be aware of the
king and his party as they entered. A
noticeable thing was the unfamiliar garb
OF the members of the midnight parlia-
ment; it was not that of the period nor
that of the past. The Swedish rigsdag, or
diet, of that day consisted of a supreme
council and president and the members of
the four estates of the realm-the MOBILES,
clergy, burghers and the peasants. As
usual, the benches in the lower part of the
hall were occupied by the peasant mem
bers; above them sat the burghers, the
clergy and the members Of the nobility, &C
icording to their degree. At the extreme
upper end of the great apartment was a
raised dais occupied by the supreme coun-
Gil, or court, and the president. III the CEN
ter appeared "a magnificent bier, upon
which rested a corpse partly covered with
a velvet mantle displaying the royal arms
of the house Of Vasa. A large open space
interviewed between the raised platform
and the first benches of the nobility. In
midst stood a block, and the headsman
leaning on his ak.
The murmuring had gradually died
away into silence. An eager and horrible
suspense was apparent in the faces of the
assembly. Presently the president arose,
a gigantic figure, but bent with age, and
made a sign, whereupon a woeful process
sion of men, bareheaded and with man:
acled hands and attended by guards in
strange uniforms, was seen issuing from
a side door and approaching the scaffold.
Another sign from the president, and the
first man knelt dowE and was dispatched
by the headsman. One after another came
up and. suffered his doom, deluging the
floor with blood. The last, a man in mid
die life, was evidently. the chief criminal.
He lifted his hand in menace at the judges
and then laid it on the block, It was sew
cred at once by a stroke Of the ak. The
head followed Immediately and rolled in q
strange manner up to where the king
stood, seemingly bespattering his feetiwith,
blood. In amazement and horror the king
exclaimed in a loud voice, "Merciful
Lord, is this to be In my reign, Or does it
forbode the Ifuturef"'ts 2fG!i MI Bf4 2
The response came from the aged chief
and was repeated by the multitude, "Woe,,
woe, woe, to the blood Of ,Vasa!" The
words, though faint and distant, were dis
tinctly heard. AS the sounds died away
the light faded and the figures grew dim.
and shadowy, and 500 the whole vision
vanished. The guest hall was empty and
dark, ave where the seneschal's lantern
made the. gloom visible. In tine antecham-,
Der the worm eaten hangings appeared as
usual. When the king reached his apart
ments, having sworn his attendants to Sc
crecy, he Commanded the physician to
place on record the p%ortentous scene which
they had all witnessed that night. He
then affixed his signature and seal. The
attendants likewise signed. the document,
which is said still to exist among the Sc
cret archives Of the vasa family.