The Daytona daily news. [volume] (Daytona, Fla.) 1903-1926, 1912-12-07

minority and de- QlAAQ
clared himself his PEDRO TIE (RUel
own master. The lad was Pedro I.
king Of the Spanish states of CASTLE
and Leon. He IL known to history az
Pedro the Cruel"
Many acts that would nowadays be
regarded as barbarous cruelty were
then looked upon as mere deeds OF JUS
tice and necessity. 1t was an unbe-
lievably brutal and cruel age. For o
man In that century to win the title
of "The Cruel" implied a monstrous
character.
Pedro, as a mere boy, fell under the
influence of one of the most beauti-
full, clever and INSCRIPTIONS women
of all history. She was Maria de
Padilla. 1t was she who prompted him
to cast aside his counsellors and to
declare himself king. Her next step
was to induce him to give her rela-
tives the highest court offices. The
crafty old prime minister, Albu-
querQue, had strengthened Maria's liz
fuence over Pedro in the hope of adj
vancing his own interests. But Maria
service. Courtiers who failed to pay
her all sorts of extrayagant compli-
ments were put to death by the kings
orders. A money lender who refused
to advance money for her expendi-
lures is said to have been boiled In
oil
When Pedro was twenty 1t was ar.
ranged that he should marry gentle
and lovely French princess, Blanche
OF Bourbon. Maria, fearing to lose
her own power over the young king.
hit on truly devilish trick for maxi
ing him hate his sweet young wife.
Blanche gave Pedro a splendid jew
eled girdle as a bridal gift Maria.
by q sieight-of-hand feat. stole the
| girdle and put in it's place poisonous
snake. She then worked on Pedro's
| superstitions by telling him Blanche
was a. sorceress, and had sought to
kill him by means of the "bewitched"
girdle. In terror, Pedro sent his in.
nocent wife to prison. (They had
been married just three days.)
For this and for other acts of cru
city and misrule the people murmur-
ed. They took Blanches part. So
did Pedros half-brother, Don Fad
rique. Pedro assured them that he
loved Blanche and would set her free.
Instead, be put her to death He in
/ vited Fadrique to the palace and went
/ forth to greet him as the latter enter
+ ed the palace courtyard. Then, at a
+ signal from Pedro, Fadrique was
stabbed to death by an assassin.
a second haIfbrother was disposed
Of by Pedro in like manner. So We're
many noblemen. At last. under a
third hall-brother, Henry Of Trasta.
mara the mobiles rebelled against Pc
dro. The pope communicated him
for his series of black crimes. He
was driven out of Spain by Henry and
by the IatJer's allies, the Waite Com
panies" (soldiers of fortunel. Taking
refuge in France, Pedro fell in with
the BLACK Prince" heir apparent of
England, who was ravaging the French
lands. BY making certain glittering
promises of reward Pedro induced the
Black Prince to help him regain his
throne. At the head of an English
army they marched into Spain. There,
in the fierce battle CNavarete, 1860,
they beat Henry. Pedro was once more
king.
He failed to keep any of the prom
ises he had made, and the Black
Prince left Spain in disgust AS soon
as the dreaded English troops were
gone the war broke out anew. Henry
gained many victories. He could not
wholly conquer the king At last, in
1863, he induced Pedro to come to his
tent for peace conference.
Scarcely had the two half-brothers
met In the tent than they few at each
others throats like angry dogs.
Henry stabbed Pedro with a dagger.
But the blade broke of against the
coat of mail the king wore under his
cloak. Pedro then, by main force
caught Henry IN his arms and hurled
him TO the ground But one Of Henry's
followers tripped Pedro and sent him
sprawling. Before the fallen king
could scramble to his feet, Henry
drove sword through his throat
Thus persisted Pedro the Cruel in
his thirty-sixth year. Henry seized
the throne, put the slain monarch's
two sons In cage and starved them
10 death. Scoundrel though Pedro was.
ne had been loved by the common peo-
pie. Many OF them prospered under
his reign, and a whimsical sense OF
fairness on his part had led them to
nickname him Pedro the just