The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-08-07

The passing of the famous old tavern
known as Eye Ode Blue Last" in Dorset
street London after more than 300 years
of uninterrupted existence removes from
| literary annals a curious landmark. The
ancient building has been ordered demol-
| ished owing to the dangerous condition 1t
is now in but the boards will doubtless be
cut up into souvenirs and made into
trinkets, for the tavern has history rich
in literary associations.
Here is where that Richardson the
novelist, sat and smoked his long church
warden pipe and drank ale. Here, too,
Samuel Johnson would come of evenings
for a cut off beef and many mugs OF
| strongly brewed beer and. while he sat,
Boswell, his cheerful biographer, sat near
| by intent upon every word which Tell
| from his patrons lips.
Oliver Goldsmith frequented the tavern
| at times when he had money. Most often
| the distinguished author Of 1.-THE Vicar
| of Wakefield" was too poor to buy ale or
even a single chop so he stood about the
| doorway, according to tradition, and en-
| joyed the rich, warm aroma of the cook
| ing beef and chops.
| Upon an oak settle, which has seen SER
| vice for hundred years. is big letter
1T" carved deeply into the wood This
| was done by William Thackeray, author
of VANITY Fair" once upon time when
he sat with a few jolly companions
l
great open-mouthed fireplace has been
| the scene of many a festive gathering.
| Great men long dead and nearly forgotten
| gathered there two centuries ago. Ii the
| tavern could be converted into museum,
| 1t seems to me, 1t would be the mecca Tor
a great many sightseers.
| Every big international plot, natcneo
by anarchists against crowned heads OF
| Europe In the past 30 years, has been bred
| in the Soho district of London, according
to the officials of Scotland Yard.
The surprising part of this fact Is that
the police are well acquainted with the
leading anarchists who take up their resi-
| dence in this country, and can tell when
anything of more Importance than usual
is going on. Yet, to all outward appear
| ance they make no sign, and seemingly
leave these dangerous gentry perfectly
free hand to babble sedition and to plot
assassination without putting the least OBJ
stacle in their way.
This is very far from being the case.
The department of the metropolitan po-
lice. that is charged with the task OF
watching and outwitting these despera-
| does is one of the most perfectly organ
| lied bodies in the world, and the extent
| of its knowledge Is little short of Won
| derful, and it would considerably surprise
those who fondly believe that they are
| free from surveillance, could they only
| watched.
A recent instance may here be given. 1t
was openly limited in and around Soho
| at the time of the coronation of the King
of Spain that great surprise was In
| store" Meetings were held In a cellar
of the neighborhood of Tottenham court
road, at which the full details of one
| OF the fouest crimes that was ever pro-
| nosed were settled, and those who We're
| 10 carry out the work were selected. Some
half dozen or so were implicated, but
when the time came for them to leave
Madrid four of them found their passage
| suddenly barred. The remaining two
managed to evade the vigilance of the
English police. The Madrid authorities
had however. been skept fully inform ed
| of what was going forward, and the mo-
ment the two men put foot on Spanish
territory they were cast into prison.
! where one of them remains to the present
day.
But this was not the British method.
The four men detained on this side were
conveyed to Scotlscd Yard. and there
taken into room. where the whole out
line of their plot was carefully laid be-
fore them, and beads of perspiration broke
from their foreheads when hints at reve-
| lation to the Spanish authorities were
| given. In the end they were given their
choice of extradition to Spain or making
a solemn promise to abstain from any
further conspiracy. This last was readily
given, but naturally the men were never
lost sight Of for an instant until the coro :
nation ceremony was at an end.
| 1t is doubtful If Scotland Yard has
ever had such a trying time as it had
during the recent funeral of Edward
WI. The striking retinue of reigning
~