Norwich bulletin., 1914-08-11
FAMOUS TRIALS
TRIAL OF WENTWORTH. rARL OF
 STAMFORD.

Of the many distinguished persons who had shown 8 marked personal attachment for the unfortunate Charles
 l.. and had most faithfully and de- votedly served him. no man was more conspicuous than Wentworth, the earl of Strafford. Against him, therefore, above all the servants of the king. was the vengeance of his enemies d. rected.
 AS chief governor of Ireland, Straf- ford showed vigor and energy which had much contributed to the peace Of that country; but in his determination to uphold the laws. and to check the violence which too often prevailed in that country, it cannot be denied that he had occasionally adopted counsels of an arbitrary and barely legal char acter, of the notoriety of which the enemies were not slow in taking ad-
 vantage.
 Before quitting the government of Ireland. for his success in which the king had created him an eari. Straf- ford left instructions for raising aIld equipping an army of 5000 men to assist Charles in a fresh attempt 10 reduce the Scotch to their o5ed!ence.
 But the earis activity in Charles behalf more and more aroused the leaders of the popular party; that body met early in November, 1S40. to ar range it's plans and. after debate with closed doors. the majority of the commons proceeded to the bar of the house of lords. where MT. Pym their spokesman, imPeached Wentworth, earl of Strafford. of high treason.
 The earl wss in conference with tho king when he was informed of what had happened. He hastened to the house. and as he entered he was met with the request from the peers of the popular side to withdraw. The lord
 keeper at the same time desired him to kneel at the bar, and informed him that he was to consider himself a prisoner in the custody of Black Rod till he should clear himself of the inn peachment which had been now pre- ferred against him by the commons. An attempt which he made to address the house from the bar was instantly silenced, and he was ordered to depart in charge of the usher.
 It was not till March, 1641, that the
 arrangements were finished and the charges prepared against Strafford. whose trial was. as usual, to take place In Westminster hall before the pee.s Places were set apart for the man agers on the part of the house of commons, for the deputation who had come from Ireland with the accusa- tions against him of illegal acts while governor, and for the Scots commas sioners who charged him with inten- tions of transporting his Irish army to Scotland for its subjection and plunder. TA6AuO 1AOL1 lIC Uy the 1T1Su and Scotch witnesses, number of minor acts were held against him, of which no one of itself could be called treason. One document was produced purporting to be a note, delivered by the council board to the effect that, as the king had exhausted all ordinary means of bringing his subjects to their obedience, his majesty was not justi- lied in employing his Irish forces for reducing Scotland to obedience. AS the trial proceeded the weakness and vague nature of the charges be- cannes daily more apparent, while the dignity, moderation and ability with which Strafford conducted his de- fense were evidently producing a strong influence in his favor among the majority Of the peers. When the managers Of the commons noticed this they abandoned the impeachment idea and resolved to proceed against Straf- l ford by a bill of attainder.
 Though the kings friends did their best to stem the torrent of public feel l forts and within a fortnight the bill of ! attainder was passed by the commons. Meanwhile the lords continued their | trial, and Strafford concluded his de- fense by pathetic and noble appeal | to the sense of justice of his judges. | Charles informed the two houses of parliament that had they condemned l Strafford on fair proof he would have | allowed the law to take its course, but i as he himself knew the faisehood of I the evidence he could not give the royal assent to the attainder. The l bill was passed by the lords by a I majority of 22 to Is.
 1 With tears and lamentations Charles | signed the warrant, and if proof were wanting of the distraction Of his mind | by the interior conflict he had endured he now took the truly hopeless step of sending the young prince of Wales to 1 the house of lords with letter en- i treating that both houses would con- sent to the sentence of death against Strafrord being changed to one of life l imprisonment.
 This petition was treated with scorn and even reprfeve for few days re- fused, The next morning the earl ot Strafford was conducted to the scaf fold on Tower hill. He made a briei speech in which he said that 1t was
 serne satisfaction to him to know that
 the king did not think he deserved tc
 die.