The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1912-07-08

tain" Thomas MNAaa@g
Blood, a soldier Of CAPTAih BLOOD
fortune, born in Ireland about 1928.
When parliament went to war against
King Charles Of England this young
adventurer Joined the Parliamentary
army and won a reputation for reck.
less courage. After parliament had
overthrown and beheaded the king
and had put oliver Cromwell in charge
OF England's government, Colonel
Blood found himself without any oc-
cupation thrilling enough to satisfy
him. But his time came soon after
Charles II. (son OF the beheaded mon
arch) mounted the British throne.
Blood then stirred up an insurrec-
tion In Ireland. planning to begin the
rebellion with the capture Of Dublin
Castle and the seizing OF the Duke OF
Ormond, lord-lieutenant Of Ireland. 1t
was a clever plot. But 1t failed. Blood
escaped. Many OF his friends and
fellow.rebels were hanged. Blood
vowed revenge upon the Duke OF Or
mond for these executions.
He fed to Holland, but soon ven
tured back to England. There he pro-
ceeded to work out his revenge. Or
mond was driving home, on the night
of December s, 1870. through the dark
London streets, when his carriage was
surrounded by Blood and a party OF
unknown men. Ormond was seized.
dragged from his coach and hustled
of in the direction Of Tyburn Hill
London's official place Of execution
and the spot where some OF Blood's
friends had been hanged).
Blood coolly informed the duke that
they intended to hang him from the
gibbet on which the conspirators had
perished. The threat would have been
carried out then and there had not q
party Of Ormond's followers riddep up
In hot pursuit and rescued their strug-
CLING master.
Blood once more escaped unsus-
pected. His next plot was the most
daring OF all. Disguised as clergy.
man and followed by one or two &C.
completes, he wandered into the Tow
er of London. From room to room he
and his friends went. gazing in open
mouthed wonder at the sights. as any
party of simple country folk might
have done. At length they came to
the apartment where the crown and
"orb" and scepter and other royal
jewels Of England were kept.
At signal, Edwards. the guardian
OF the treasure. was attacked. He de-
Tended himself and was nearly MUIR
dered. Leaving Edwards bound on
the floor, Blood snatched up the Jew
eled crown Of England. hid 1t under
bis long clerical cloak and strolled
peacefully out of the room. One OF
his followers stole the orb" and fol-
lowed him.
But the alarm had been raised. The
thieves were chased and caught. Thus
England was spared the unspeaka Bile
humiliation Of losing its royal crown
by a thief. Blood was thrown into
Jail. No one doubted that he would
Dt put " uCdtu at ouSC. COplC WOh
dered what tortures would be inflicted
on the man who had dared to lay un-
holy hands on the royal regalia.
But Bloods luck held good He
managed to get word to King Charles
II. that II he were executed there
were hundreds Of friends who would
avenge his death. He Is also said to
have been in the secret employ Of the
dissolute Duke of Buckingham, who
was a favorite Of the king and who
even whispered that Buckingham had
inspired Blood's attack on Ormond
and that he perhaps counted on pay
ing some Of his own ducal gambling
debts out OF the sale Of the stolen
crown jewels.
In any case, instead of ordering
Bloods immediate execution, Charles
II. actually visited him in prison. No
one knows Just what took place dur
ing the interview or what royal scan-
dals Blood threatened to expose If he
were killed. To every ones surprise.
Charles not only set Blood free, but
placed him in high favor at court and
granted him pension OF $4,000 a
year,
For the next ten years Blood was
parsonage OF Importance in London.
The thief and blackmailer waxed rich
(while poor Edwards was refused
even a petty reward for his plucky de-
fense Of the crown jewels.) At last.
the lucky man went too far. He
spread scandalous stories about his
patron, Buckingham-probably by
way Of blackmail-and was arrested.
He was released on bail. In Au-
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