The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-04-23
A NOTORIOUS RASCAL
Bold Exploits of Colonel Thomas
Blood In England.
TRIED TO STEAL THE CROWN
The Daring Scamp Almost Succeeded,
Too, and Managed to Escape Pun
ishment After Being Captured-His
Attack on the Duke of Ormonde.


| the most reckless and brazeu soldiers
/ Of fortune that ever cut swath in
/ England was the notorious Colonel
/ Thomas Blood.
I This choicest OF seventeenth century
/ scOuudrelS was born probably in Ire
I land in or about 1GlS. During the civil
war he was active ON the parNamen-
/ tary side, was made 4 justice of the
/ peace by Henry Cromwell and received
large grants OF land. These We're con
fscated at the restoration. and Blood
forthwith began his career as a des-
perado.
/ His first plot was-to seize Dublin cas-
tie and the person of the Duke of or
monde. the lord lieutenant in 1868. \
crowd was to be collected at the castle
gates, a pretended baker with a load
of bread upon his shoulder was 10
stumble and upset the Ioaves. and in
the scramble which would probably en-
sue among the castle guards the ga.es
We're to be seized. but the plot was be
trayed to Ormoude. and, although
| Blood himself escaped. his brother-in,
! law was arrested and executed.
After period of seCluSion among the
Irish hills and In Holland, Blood cross
ed 10 England and Joined the nifty mon
archy men. After one or two minor
deeds of daring he planned and nearly
carried out a desperate stroke in 1910.
In that year the Prince of Orange visit
ed England and was entertained by the
city of London. In his train on the oc-
casion was the Duke Of Ormonde,
1x{ r,C
hate. The duke was dragged from his
coach in st. James street by Blood and
his son-in-law. strapped on horseback
TO one Of the conSpiratOrs and hurried
toward Tyhurn. SO determined was
the prime mover in the affair that his
enemy should die that he hurried on
toward the gallows to arrange the rope
The dukes CoaChman gave the alarm
and followed his master with assist
anCe, and a timely rescue was effected.
On May in the following year blood
made his great attempt TO carry or the
Tower jewels. He set about the task in
quite a modern style. Some three
weeks before the attempt he and wO-
man whom he represented as his wife
his real wife being then in the north
W
the lady feigned sudden illness She
and her companion were invited into
the private apartments of Edwards,
the aged keeper. that she might rest
and recover.
Three or four days later they return.
ed with a present Of gloves as IN aC-
acknowledgement of the civility. Blood
was courtesy itself. admired every
thing, but especially Edwards pretty
daughter, and presently proposed a
match between the young lady and his
''nepheW.' This was agreed to, and
the visitors at once dined with the fam
lily, Blood pronouncing an edifying
grace. After dinner they were shown
over the house. Blood managed to rid
Edwards OF a case of pistols by pur-
chasing them for a friend. and it was
arranged that the nephew" should be
brought for inspection by his future
bride at o'clock on the morning of
May 8.
Punctual to the day and hour, Blood
appeared with three companions-Par-
rot. Hunt and Holloway. Each had a
sword stick in his hand, a dagger in his
belt and pistols in his pockets. Hollo- .
way remained outside to gard the
door
Blood, with a nice regard fo> the eti- .
quette of the occasion. proposed that
they should await the arrival Of his /
wife before joining the ladies and that
Edwards should show them tie crown
jewels to while away the tiMe The .
jewel room was entered and che door, /
as usual, closed. Edwards WIS ut once
attacked, gagged and bound. an iron
hook being even attached to his nose
that no sound might pass from him /
that way" In spite OF threats he .
struggled gallantIy, was knocl,ed down. /
stabbed and left for dead. Parrot put
the globe in his loose breaches. Blood
crushed up the crown and thrust it be-
meath his cloak. while Hunt began to
file the scepter in two before putting it
in a bag.
At this moment, like a bolt from the
blue, appeared Edwards son, newly ar
rived from Flanders and eager to greet
his family. He went first t. his moth
er and sister. and the thieves slipned
out but Edwards, regainiu9 conscious
ness, managed to give the alarm. and
they were taken. Said Blood pbiIo-
sophically, 1T was a bold attempt. but
1t was for a crown"
After this one imagines there would
be short shrift for Colonel Blood. and
we expect the march to Tyburn and an /.
edifying last speech" But he refused
TO plead unless in private TO the king
and was admitted TO an interview. got /.
on the right side Of the merry mon !.
arch, limited at ac,omplices by the hun
dred who would avenge his death, was
granted his forfeited estates and was
frequent in the pres
ence chamber. Then he quarreIed with
his patron, buckingham. and was cast
in damages for SANDER on the duke
He died in 1850 and was buried in Tot.
hill fields: but, a sham funeral" ru-
NOR being started. he was exhumed
sl1 l..