New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-30
4 TRiGIC4L STORY.
HOW THE DEATH OF DUKE HUMPHREY WAS

HOW THE DEATH OF DUKE HUMPHREY WAS
CoMPAssED.
From Notes and Queries.
The death of Humphrey. Duke of Gloucester.
has always remained mystery to historians
Humphrey was arraigned for high treason pc
fore the Parliament held at Bury St Edmunds
in February, 144T, but on the morning OF the
day appointed for his trial ne was found dead
in his bed. Henry VI and his young queen
Margaret attended the sitting. ana upon inc
announcement Of the death the Queen turned
deathy pale No marks Of violence or traces Oh
unnatural death were to be found, but great
suspicion of foul play existed in the minds OF
all $3.50
In 1860 the dwelling known as the Abbey
Ruins at Bury St Edmunds was under repair
and one day while the carpenter was al am
ner, one Of the inmates discovered inclosed III
cavity in the wall a metal box containing
beautifully Illuminated old manuscript Inc
writer stated that he was a very aged monk
who had sworn not to reveal the secret OF the
murder in his lifetime. but determined to write
it down for posterity. 1t appears that In the
middle Of the fifteenth century there existed AZ
Bury a religious establishment for women called
the Priory. One of the nuns was Maude Care"
who had retired for apparent reason from
the world she loved 80 well. She had travelled
with her father, and while at Provence twnitner
he had gone TO ask the hand OF Margaret tor
Henry had met Sir Roger Drury. an astrologer
and man of science. who afterward entered the
monastery at Bury as Father Bernard. pursu-
ing his labors aichemist. The Duke or
Gloucester had given orders that Father Ber-
nard. being A magician. should be burned AT
the stake Maude Carew secretly loved rather
Bernard, and. with a view Of saving his life. ap-
peaIed to the Queen. Margaret hated the duke
for the power he held. and suggested that Father
Demands life could only be saved by compass
ing the death Of the duke who. II acquitted 'aS
he was sure to be) the morrow. would Ger
ta!nly emphasize the fact by seeing to the early
fulfilment of his orders. At night, after lvhs
consultation. Maudc. instructed by Cardinal
Beaufort scattered few grains of a deadly
poison (which left no trace upon the face or
the duke while he slept, and was returning
from the scene Of he's crime by means of the
staircase when her light was mysteriously OK
tinguished and she grasped by the hand Or
Father Bernard who. taking her into his cell.
containing his phas. books. charts. crucibles
and furnace, extracted from Ter confession Of
her guilt and that her motive for the deed was
to save his life. The cardinal had carefully
provided against treachery knowing that the
powerful drug she held in her hand would AZ
certainly kill her the duke, although its eff
feet would be slower.
Father Bernard warned Maude that ages Of
penance and purgatory must atone for her CRIME.
around the scene of which her spirit would rest
lessly wander. maybe for centuries to come.
Then. declaring that she would helplessly Wit
ness the downfall Of the splendid abbey and The
conversion of its ruins into dwelling-house lie
led her back toward the chapel. and by the time
she reached the back OF the altar she sue
cumbed to the effects Of the poison. He placed
her in front of the altar. where she found
later on by the nuns. who attributed her death
natural causes while engaged in private de
VOtiOn. rather bernard tOiu the STORY 10 the
aged monk, who mentions that ever since that
awful night the sound of heavy footsteps had
been heard by the monks one hour before mid
night:
"Retribution quickly followed the instigators
well as the perpetrator OF the crime. Car
dinal Beaufort died soon after in great suffer
ing. Queen Margaret was unfortunate and
misera BILE all the rest of her life: her husband
was dcthroned and murdered. and she herself.
fallen from her royal station. spent dreary years
as a prisoner in the Tower and afterward as 4
dependent on her fathers bounty"
The whole of this matter is graphically de-
scribed in an anonymous pamphlet from whN'h
the above is takenl. entitled The Secret Dis
closed" published at Bury. The copy that |
possess given TO me on the spot in 1859 by
the then occupier Of the Abbey ruins. Mrs
Greene.