Norwich bulletin., 1914-07-31
FAMOUS TRIALS
Trial of Murderers of Thyme.

The curiosity of visitors to Vest minister Abbey Is often excited by certain tomb, which, as the tablet above 1t records, contains the body of Thomas Thyme of Longieat, who was barbarously murdered on the 12th or February, 1882.
 Thomas Thynne-..Tom- of ten thou sand" as he was Hicknamed in refer ence to what in that time was consid- cred an immense income, was at the time of his death about 34 years old. In spite of his own wealth he seems to have desired to make an advant- ageous marriage and,- through the aid of a marriage broker" he sued for the hand of we'll known heiress Another suitor for the girl or rath- was soldier of fortune. Count Carl John Konigsmarck. This dashing young man was regarded not unkindly by the girl, who at the unusual age of 16 was thrice married and thrice widowed, but Lady Northumberland and arranged and carried through the match with Thyme despite the fact that he was distasteful to her grand daughter
 Attached to Konigsmarck's person was certain Capt. Vratz, bold, dar- ing and absolutely interruptions sol dier of fortune, who had accompanied him in the wars and obeyed him with doglike fidelity This swashbuckler was all too willing to take the counts quarrel with Thyme on his shoulders and later explained the latter by say ing that after sending Thyme a chal- lenge by post from Holland and fail- ing to get satisfaction that way, he determined to make "rencounter'' of 1t in the street.
 It must be remembered that in those times a thoroughfare as near the RR.% DAI1 E-In
 pearance as well as dark and danger ous. In the afternoon of Feb. 12 Thyme went to call upon Lady Nor thumberland, the grandmother and guardian of his wife. Word that he had gone to pay the visit was brought at once to Vratz, who met his con- federates at the Black Bull inn in HolL orn. The three of them, Vratz, Stern and Boraski, set off to the foot of St. Aiban's street, where they met the coach of Thyme returning. They halted the coach and one of them shot Thyme, killing him.
 Warrants were issued for the arrest of the assasins and Vratz was cap- tured in a Swedish doctors house in Leicester Fields. Boraski and Stern were also arrested. Officers from Lon don arrested the count just as he was landing from his boat at Gravesend.
 Sir Frances Pemberton, chief jus uce of the kings bench, presided at the trial of the four prisoners, which began at g in the morning. The na- donality of the prisoners made a jury demediate linguae" (half English and half foreign) Two of them were Swedes, one German and the fourth Pole. Even the interpreters couldn't understand all the languages and the judges would not pause for every answer to be translated
 Konigsmarck. being charged as an accessory, asked to have his trial postponed until the principals should have been convicted. Pemberton re- fused this on the ground that he had no power to separate the trials, though he had discretion. The real reason was to shield the count though the count was not aware of 1t at the time
 The case against the three principals was proved without difficulty. In fact, they acknowledged the crime, but the trial against the count failed much to the popular displeasure, and shame of this bad acquittal rests on Pemberton, who in summing up skill fully smoothed over the most damn ing points of the case and put in here and there a plausible explanation.
 Ultimately at about 6 o'clock the jury retired, and after half hours ab- sence returned with a verdict of guilty against the three wretched tools of the count and mot guiIty'' against the chief conspirator himself.
 God bless the king and the honor able bench!" exclaimed the shameless and brazen count.
 The judges did not condescend to remain to pronounce. the sentence of death against the convicted prisoners. a penance which they underwent at the precise spot where the dastardIy crime was committed on the 10th of March. Carl John continued his ad- venturous lief abroad following his aequittal.