The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1912-06-28

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soCstsi-s la; ss< S-si hsppesed and
vs:ct tbey Iso.essse 70 regard ~ .
e.e tcEs
b. lie Ec-ect tse regslly clad
Eir reached kiE private apartments
.- tie palaee away from the eyes Of
TIE pzsik, La mask G; false gAyety
Sas cart aG.6e He hurled himself
upo- tie toor. screaming. rsving and
kovhrg fearful blssDheuies. fosmir g
.; ;he uogth and biting Ike mad
tog ~ Tie ruthes Tia; Eirewed The
foor.
Nor va this turst OF insane fury
without az excuse For the man vas
4 tyrsrt; and ths, Day had been forced
70 sign tie cesth-vsrrsnt Of tyranny.
He vas John. king 0. England. More
than q century and half had passed
a.nce Wll.au the Corqueror had won
England beginning the blend Of Nor
nan and Saxon races and giving the
English rev Ens o. kings and DO
bih,y. Henry II, king Of England.
had several Eons, all Of whom hated
their father and a. various times con-
spired against him. John vas the
youngest Prom h!. poverty be be
came known as Lakeland" The eld-
est son, Geofrey, died during Henry's
lifetime, lesving one con, little Prince
Arthur Geofrey's next youngest
brother, Richard fkrown as Lion
Hearth, became king Of England at
Henry's death He spent nearly all
his ten-year reign fighting in other
countries, and died childless.
During Richards absence from Eng
land John had tried to sei1e the crown
for himself On Richards return be
had 70 ny for bis own HE before the
wrath Of the brother be had striyen TO
rsupplant Richard. however, forgave
him, and named him as heir TO the
throne On Lion Hearts" death
John became king OF England in 1893.
Some Of the mobiles tried TO make his
nephew, young Prince Arthur. king in
Johns place. Civil war broke out
John was victorious. Arthur was cap
tured and thrown into prison. John lie
said 10 have had the siIteen-year-old
boys eyes put out and then to have
murdered him. The king Of France
made war on John TO svepge this al
legged murder, and seized nearly all
England's French possessions.
John, forced thus to confne bis tyr
amy to his own country, proceeded to
make his peoples lives miserable. He
seized at will the few possessions Of
The poor and laid heavy taxes on the
rich He insulted and ill-ueated the
clergy, de'ying the pope himself. The
church thereupon placed an Inter
dict" on the blackguard and his realm.
His holiness also called upon the
Christian ruler. to unite against John.
Ibis last danger scared the covardly
tyrant into submission. But he re-
fused 10 make his peoples hardships
lighter.
Then II was that the powerful bar
obs, led by Stephen Langton. arch
bishop OF Canterbury, presented a
code Of laws for the betterment Of the
people and for the curbing OF oppres-
sion. They called this document the
Magma Charta Great CHARTER.
Among other reforms, the charter pro-
Eided fair trial for every prisoner,
authorized the nation 10 resist unjust
royal demands and put the will OF the
people ahead Of mere kings wishes.
The church's liberty was to be re-
spected and no mans possessions
we're to be wrongfully seized by the
crown.
John wac asked 70 sign the Magma
Charta- He refused. The barons and
the common people combined TO force
him to sign IT, Frightened by their
power and his own weakness, John at
last consented Thus was English lib
erty born and the rights OF man were
established. John met the barons at
Q meadow, near Runpymede. on June
Is, 1915, salved his vanity by pretend
Ing to make a Jest Of the matter,
rigned the charter and-safe in his
palsce-gave way TO q fit OF maniacal
rage
Though he had been coerced into
performing an act Of splendid justice
BY signing the Magma Charta, John
bad not the faintest idea Of keeping
bis promises TO the barons. He called
on foreign hired soldiers to help him
crush bis rebellious subjects. Tho
Rn~U.h r>t.M Mat.d hv aaktn1 Fyenc6
prince TO come over and Be their king.
The land was once more rent by CIV
n war. John showed no mercy TO bis
pvn country, but dssolated and
wrecked II wherever bis armies could
and Q foothold. At the climax Of the
struggle bis mind gave way. He SICK
med and. on October 1s, 1916, died.
Some historians believe be was pot
poned.