Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-04-29

Within it are many stories, and Rich
ard is both the hero and the villain
of every one OF them.
When King Edward ", Richards
brother, died, Edwards oldest son, who
became king. was a little boy. Rich
ard, whose courage was equaled only
by his ambition and who possibly at
the time designed to make himself
king, at once dashed at the head of
troop Of his adherents to where young
Edward was and captured him.
The next important scene in the trag-
edy is the little king riding on horse
back from the city of London to West
minister abbey. his Uncle Richard rid
ing beside him, regarding his nephew
sovereign with every pretense of rev.
erence and affection. 1t is probable
that Richard was even then plotting to
supplant the child; that this apparent
devotion was TO win the confidence of
the people with a view to furthering
his opportunity, but whether the arch
fend then contemplated numbering his
brothers son has not been proved.
The little kings mother as soon as
she saw reason to fear her brother-in-
law took refuge with her other chill
dren in the sanctuary of Westminster,
| for in those days no person, king or
commoner, might drag one from the
sanctuary without mourning the anath-
emas of the church. But the boy re-
manned with his uncle. who also Sc
cured possession of his younger broth
/ err, the Duke of Clarence.
The Tower of London, which for
more than two centuries has been only
/ a fortress and is now mostly an OBJ
| ject of curiosity for tourists. was then
! also a palace and prison. Richard
! fixed the residence of his nephews
/ there, assuming TO reign in the minor
kings name. England at the time
needed a strong governing hand. Rich
| ard succeeded in convincing certain
/ persons of influence that he had better
be king. Others he threatened; others
he put ont of his way by beheading
them. Many of the commoners were
/ with him.
When all was ripe he seized the scep-
ter. From the first the little princes
were virtually prisoners in the Tower,
though they were treated with all the
reverence due a king and a prince of
the blood But they never came out
from the gloomy walls. The people
never saw them. Young as they were,
they were old enough to realize that
they were in the hands of one in whose
way they stood and their lives were
in danger
Richard had a son of his own whom
he idolized and whom he desired
should succeed him on the throne OF
England. Probably this feature of the
case turned his mind TO the murder OF
the two princes. his nephews, for SC
long as they lived their title to the
crown would stand before that of Rich
ards son. At any rate, there came a
time when Richard determined to muir
der his nephews and looked about fol
some one to do the deed.
He sent an order to the lieutenant OF
the Tower to have the princes put tC
death. The officer refused to obey 1t
In this he braved the king. then an al
powerful sovereign. but to force a mar
10 commit the murder would have a
once made the murder known. and this
did not suit Richards purpose. WheT
he received word that the lieutenant
would not do his bidding he lamente6
aloud that he had no one on whom hi
could rely in his extremity & page
overheard what he said and, knowing
his meaning, told him that he knew 8
. man who would serve him as he wish
cd to be served. The man was called
accepted the commission and left fol
the Tower.
For four centuries a plying worlC
has been wondering as to the deatf
scene Of the poor little king and his
brother All that is known is that t.
keep their cries from being heard they
were smothered in their bedclothes
When all was over their bodies were
taken down to the foot of the stair.
!, below the room in which the deeC
was done and there buried. Later
when the murder became known. i
was given out that they had been bur
led in Westminster abbey. But th
story was disproved many years later
in the reign Of Charles H.. when OF
, making changes in the Tower the skele
tons Of two children were found at tn
foot Of the staircase, as recorded h!
one of the murderers at the time Of tn
> murder.
The taking of of the princes. beinI
, known only to a few, was kept for
long while But there were whisper
ings. and in time it became known I
the queen mother and her daughter
that their dear ones had been murder
, ed by their uncle. In addition to thei
horror at the crime and their bereave
ment, they dreaded lest the king mur
derer. defying the sacredness Of thei
refuge, would drag them from tn
sanctuary and kill them also. AS tim
passed and nothing was heard by tn
people Of the princes, who were SUP
posed to be living in the royal apart
ments Of the Tower they began to won
der. Then the dreadful news sprea
from mouth TO mouth. and great hos
ror fell upon all England.
At last the murderer received his frs
punishment. His beloved son, for whom
, he had committed the crime. sickenet
2 and died. Richard had no other sol
and ar his daath aftar oil tho orou-