Arizona republican., 1914-04-04
TRIAL OF FRANCIS BACON

philosopher and diplomat, found it a difficult matter to prevail upon his sovereigns to accept his philosophy, cient extent to know just how to handle the obstinate rulers. While he wrote letters defending Elizabeth during her reign, he provoked her and her lords by his opposition in parliament to taxation measures in which the government was interested. When James came to the throne he fared better for a time, and rose rapidly in favor at court. He finally advanced to the high position of lord chancellor, but the enjoyment of his rev honors was brief. The storm which had been gathering against the government broke first on Ba- cons head, and on the assemblage of parliament, he was charged with bribery.
 The charges against Bacon were laid before the house of commons in March, 1921, and on March r, the commons resolved to send the charg-
 es laid against him before the lords y, themselves on one side or the other. BacOn's health broke down over worry caused by the charges and he begged for time to reply to the ac- cusations. Not being satisfied, his enemies brought fresh accusations. One of these was Lady Wharton, who claimed that she had given money directly to Bacon and had l received crushing sentence almost immediately afterwards.
 On April 16, Bacon, who was suf- ficiently recovered to leave his house, had an interview with the king. He begged his sovereign to grant him fair trial, but on the goth he was gwen sufficient details of charges to be laid against him that he felt that he had difficult task before him to answer them. When the full charges | were disclosed to him he at once realized that a defence was impossi- I ble.
 On the 27th of April, Bacon made
 his formal submission to the lords, hoping that they would be content with depriving him iof office. The lords, however, pressed for an an-
 swer to the charges. On May l, the | great seal was taken from him. | The lords who were to be the judges of Bacon's guilt, took the mat
 ter out of the hands of the com- mons, the original accusers, and had
 themselves become the prosecutors,
 collecting and arranging evidence, ac- l eepting or rejecting dispositions, and l doing all that counsel or the com hitting magistrate would do prelim- mary to trial.
 There appears to have been no
 cross examination of witnesses on
 Bacon's behalf. or hearing witnesses | for him-not unnaturally at this
 stage of the business, when the Tout their own case, but considerng
 that the future judges had of their
 own accord turned themselves into
 the prosecutors, the unfairness was
 great.
 In the accusations it was stated
 that Bacon had taken many bribes O.
 $500, 5000 and even $5000. The
 reason the seal was taken from him
 was that a person to whom it was
 attached was immune from appear
 ing before a bar of justice Wher
 he gave it up he said: By the
 kings great favor I received tho
 great seal by my own great fault have lost it.
 After they had found Bacon guilty they intended him to come to the
 bar to receive his sentence. But he was too i'll to leave his bed. They did not push this point further, but
 on May 3 proceeded to settle tht sentence There were men who talk ed of every extremity short of death Chief Justice Coke, from his usua
 store of precedence, cited cases tt the commons where judges had beer
 hung for bribery. But the lords
 would not hear of this.
 , His offenses foul" said Lord Ar