The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1914-06-04
WRITES ABOUT The
TOWER OF LONDON
Facts Carnered From the Nooks
And Corners of Memory Con-
corning Visits to This Historic
Spot by an Inmate.
Bv Marco Polo

singular Metropolis. which occupies
a'supericies OF nearly 1000 kilome-
tiers square, and counts with seven
million of inhabitants, the famous
Tower ofLondon stands pre- eminent
on account of it's historic interest.
Situated in the eastern part of the
ancient city on one of the banks of
the Thames, it has successfully
served as fort, stronghold, palace,
and at the present time serves as
Museum, Hall of Arms, and deposit
of the Jewels of the Crown of Eng
land.
By the name of Tower" is meant
a series of irregularly constructed
buildings, also called Towers, each
one independent of the other; of diff
fering heights and forms; erected at
different epochs from each other.
and representing the architecture
dominating the period of their con-
struction. These series of towers
are surrounded by an embattled wall
of pentagonal construction and a
deep, dry moat, along which one
may observe here and there marks
which determine spots where exist
ed the donjon bridges-draw
bridges other means for the
defense of the historic mansion.
The towers and other dependen-
cies existing with this enclosure.
occupy space approximatlng six
hundred acres.
History of Towers
History recounts that the first
tower was built at the command of
Julius Caesar as part of his strategy
in the conduct of the Gallo wars.
In the ninth century, King Alfred
erected in Its exact center two
elevated planes, upon which William
the Conqueror, in the eleventh CEN
fury, erected what is called the
White Tower" constructed in the
then primitive style of Norman
architecture. The Beauchamp Tower
dates from the fourteenth century
and owes its erection to Edward
Ill; and so through succeeding
epochs the rest of them, together
with their dependent agrouped
buildings; among which number
many retain their ancient look of
form and construction, while others
have undergone process of modern
rehabilitation, in order that they
might become adapted to the uses
to which they have been put.
For more than six centuries it
served as prison, and within its
labyrinth of tortuous passages and
somber recesses there are. to this
day, visible reminders of the suffer-
Ing and torture to which the unfor-
tunate prisoners were submitted.
The Fire Box, the Block and AK,
the gallows, with other means of
carving out the death penalty, are
accusing witnesses of those who so
cruelty seeked to rid themselves OF
political enemies and opposers to
their selfish am cjtions. Very few
places exist that car bring back to
the existing times such evidence of
vile brutality. or that possess such a
bloody record. To my notion, it is
not equalled by the mines of Siberia,
in Russia; the Spielberg castle in
Austria; the horrible plomos of the
Venice of the Dodges; nor the
underground dungeons of the Inqui-
sition, in Spain.
A Palace of Blood
In the wars between England and
Scotland. the kings of the latter
always suffered cruelty; among them
John Ballot, David Bruce and Marie
Stuart. In the White Tower" were
assassinated two princesses by order
of Richard III; Anna Bolene, Catha.
rine Howard, Margarine Pole, the
Duke OF Essex and that great colo
nizer-Walter Raleigh, were decap-
itated there. In another tower
Hill Tower"-will be found the
somber chamber where the common
executions took place, and the re-
cords existing in the archives tell
us that among such went to their
deaths, the Duke of Mammouth,
Lord Gotham, burnt at the stake for
heresy; the Duke of Stafford and
Lord Russell, beheaded. in company
with others such as, Jean II OF
France, Henry VI, Archbishnp Cram
ner, Thomas More, Chancellor OF
Henry VII; the duke of Southamp-
ton, protector of Shakespeare; all OF
whom suffered long period OF
captivity before the death penalty,
even If so barbarously applied, ner-
clfully released them from a jealous
aud suspicious sovereign.
The spirit of revenge and cruelty
IL. 4.