The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-11-05
NOTED CRIME OF BRIGANDs.
Lord Nuncaster's visit Recalls Il
Historic Capture and Massacre in
GFRPcR


From the Washington Post.
Lord Muncaster. who arrived in this
country on Saturday last by the Campa-
mia in search of an heir, is great trav-
eler, and during the course of his wan
derngs has undergone an experience such
as falls but seldom TO the lot Of peers of
the realm in these modern times. 1t is
nearly a quarter Of century ago that
one day London, Paris and Vienna were
startled 70 learn that a party Of ladies'
and gentlemen, comprising members Of
the British, French, Austrian and Italian
legations al Athens, as well as Lord and
Lady Muncaster, the Hon. Edward Her
bert, brother of the late Earl Of Carna-
Won, and the Warehouses of Ripon's
brother, Fred Nyner had been captured
by brigands during an excursion to the
Plain of Marathon. There were a num-
Der of ladies in the party. who we're
somewhat roughly used at first but vino
were set at liberty along with their chill
dren after captivity of twenty-four
hours.
Four days later Lord Muncaster was re-
leased and dispatched to Athens for the
purpose of securing the ransom and the
terms of immunity demanded by the bril-
gands. They insisted upon $4,000 in
money, a free pardon for themselves for
outrages both past and present, and the
liberation of certain brigands then in Gus
tody. The English envoy at Athens urg-
ed the Greek government to procure the
release of the captives even upon the
terms of the brigands, and received a dis
tinet promise that the matter should be
settled at once, no matter at what cost.
With Characteristic want of faith the
Greek government tried to avoid the pay
ment of the ransom by encompassing the
arrest of the brigands. Thinking lightly
Of the threat TO murder the captives if
pursuit We're attempted, the authorities
dispatched a body of troops to capture
or secure the outlaws. The latter, through
their friends at Athens, were at once APP
prised of the scheme. Enraged thereat,
the robbers carried off the captives still
further into the interior, and, after sub
1ecting them for several days TO the most
distressing anxiety as to what their fate
might be, murdered them in cold blood.
The victims included Count de Boyl, sec
rotary Of the italian legation: the Hon.
Edward Herbert, Fred Vyner and five
other gentlemen, whose bodies, when
found, bore besides a number of gunshot
wounds, the appearance of having been,
in addition thereto, stabbed i'm the back.
The affair created an immense sensation
at the time, which was still further in
creased when several members of the
parliamentary opposition in Greece, as
well as an Englishman named Noel, and
domiciled at Negro Ponte, were arrested
and placed on trial along with the bril-
gandS for completely in the massacre.
Most of the accused paid the penalty of
their crime with their life.
Lord Muncaster, who is Lord Lieu5en-
ant of Cumberland and whose principal
county seat is Muncaster Castle, in the
county Of Cumberland, is an elderly man
of 60 years of age, and was transformed
from an Irish peer into a peer Of the
United Kingdom to a seat in the House
Of Lords last spring. Among the princi-
pal possessions of his family is curious
ly wrought glass cup presented by the
unfortunate King Henry VI to his faith
full servant Sir John Pennington, the
founder of Lord Muncasters family, with
the prayer that the latter should ever
prosper, and never want a male heir as
long as the cup remained unbroken. Lord
Muncaster himself has no children, neither
has his surviving brother and heir, the
Hon. Alan Pennington. The family Is,
therefore, without male heir, unless Lord
Muncaster can find in this country the
issue of Capt. Joseph Pennington who died
toward the close of the last century at
the time of the American war of indie
pendence.
Lord Muncaster's trip to the United
States is with the object of hunting up
the descendants of this Capt. Joseph Pen
nington, younger brother of the first
Lord, in the hope of finding an heir, to the
| family name, and to the extensive cs-
tates of this grand old house. Lord
| Muncaster has every hope of success
as the celebrated glass cup stin remains
| intact. Let me add that there are sew
eral old families in England who possess
| cups of this kind, the existence of which
is associated by traditions with the for
tunes of the family TO which they belong.
| Perhaps the most famous of them all is
| that which belongs to Sir Richard Mus
| grave, and which, known as the Luck
of Edenhall," has been sung in one of
the best known poems by the American
| poet Longfeilow.