Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1913-03-07
TITUS OATES
INVENTED CONSPIRACY


Titus Oates. one of the biggest GRIM
inais in English history. had IA career
whlch was as picturesque as it was
varied. His chief mania was to stir
up n people through foisting upon
Ihem stories of conspiracies against
n government and the king. all OF
which were inventions pure sim
pie on the part of Oates. The con-
spiracies, of which he told. never ex-
listed and Vet his stories contained so
much that was plausible that he did
mo- have very great difficulty in maxi
ing at least the big majority of the
English people believe them.
The lies he old were the means of
bringing many innocent people to death
and upon occasion at least he had
the whole kingdom in the greatest lex-
citement. This was when he reported
t0 murder the king OF England,
Charles III. and to start a general mas
sacre.
Oates was the son OF AN English
weaver. but he switched from this
trade to the ministry. This change
he deemed would be OF advantage to
further his schemes. The Baptist
church drove him out on account of
perjury. whereupon. through M
fiuence. he became a chaplain I'm the
British navy. He carried on his ne
fariOus classifying in this service, from
which he was dismissed for gross mis-
conduct and from there he went to
study for the priesthood In Il Jesuit
college.
The college authorities found Oates
to be vidius, hyprocritical and worth
less and they, too, dismissed him in
disgrace. Having been born in 1920 he
thus found himself in 1878, at the age
of SIS. cast upon the world to pick up
a living by his wits. Flung into the
world as a mere ~adventurer he returned
1 tn ENGLAND and cnnnnrfod the story nf
the famous 'Popisll Plot" referred to
above.
Oates alleged that the plot was
formed by the Jesuits and Roman
Catholics for the purpose of murder
ing the king and subverting the Pro-
testant religion. Godfrey, a justice of
the peace to whom Oates gave evil
dence, was found dead in a ditch and
the Baptists were Gus of his mur-
der, though nothing transpircd to sub
stantiate the charge. Parliament met
soon afterwards n the
passed a bill to exclude Catholics from
both houses.
Oates. received a pension and this
encouraged Bedloe, a noted thief n
impostor, to come forward and con-
firm Oates statements. He also ac-
cused several noblemen by name of
a design to take up arms against the
king. Coleman. a secretary to the
Duchess of York, Il Jesuit named Ire
land and others We're tried, condemned
and executed on the testimony of Oates
and Bedloe. Ii 1880 viscount Stat
ford was impeached by the commons,
condemned by the lords and executed
as an accomplish of the plot. on the
evidence of Oates and two of his as
sociates.
King Charles was not deceived by
the lies told by Oates regarding the
plot to assassinate him. Therefore he
turned from the king and found willing
ears among a great number Of the
people. many of whom were prominent
statesmen and %populace alike believed
their kings life was really threatened.
and nothing could check their belief.
The nation was mad with excitement.
When Charles died n James IL
came to the throne Oates was con-
tence was passed upon him. For state
reasons it was deemed best not to
execute him. but 1T was decided to put
put him to death in another fashion.
IIe was sentenced to pay a heavy fine,
then to be clapped into the pillory to
to be imprisoned for life. At n of
these whippings. he received LOO
lashes and was so mangled that he had
to be dragged back to prison on a
sledge. But he was tough, and recov-
cred in spite of his treatment.
Three years later, when James vas
deposed and William of Orange became
king. one of his earliest acts was to
pardon Oates and to give him an ILL
deserved pension OF $1,000 a year.
There is hardly any doubt that such
plots AS Oates described never existed,
but after his pardon the old perjurer
lived i'm comfort. vainly trying to stir
up new plots now and then. for the
next II years. dying in 1905 at the
age of SO.
Motto for . Home.