Semi-weekly herald., 1914-02-23


number, who on January 27, 1919,
voted for his execution. Fifty-eight
of this number ultimately signed the
death warrant. These Regicides were
all tried separately with the excep-
ton of nineteen, who we're kept in
prison until their death without hav-
ing received chance to prove their
innocence.
Ten Of the Regicides were executed
Immediately, and three others were
caught in Holland, brought to Eng
land and executed Many lived in ex-
lie the rest of their lives, including
three in Connecticut, Goffe, Whalley
and Dixwell.
The trial of the .Regicides took
place on October 10, 1860, at the Old
Bailey. Col. Thomas Harrison was
the first to be brought to trial. He
pleaded mot guilty" The kings
counsel produced five witnesses who
deposed that Thomas Harrison sat as
one of the kings judges, in the pre-
tended high court of justice, and par
ticularly on the 9th Of January,
i64S, when the sentence was read, and
that he stood up with the rest to ex-
press his assent to il. 1t was also
proved that Harrison had command
ed the party that had brought the
king from Hurst castle to London.
The prisoner said in his defense
that the matter was not done in
corner; the sound of it had reached
hearts of some had felt the terrors
Of the presence of God that was with
His servants in those days. The sec
ond to be brought to the bar was Ad-
fian Scroop, and his defense was that
the high court Of justice was erected
by the parliament, which was then
the supreme power Of the nation, and
rgenerally submitted to, and what he
had done was in obedience to that
authority.
The lord chief baron replied that
what he had offered in his defense
tended rather to aggravate than ex-
tenuate his crime; that he, as well as
sthers, was mistaken in the word
parliament" and that there was not
me precedent of any other house Of
ommons assuming legislative power
r making an act to erect a court of
ustice for the trial of their king.
The third to be brought to the bar
gas John Carew. He seemed much Of
ended that it was said in the indict-
nent he had not the fear of God be-
lore his eyes, but was moved by the
ievil to murder the king, and averred
hat what he had done was in the fear
# the Lord and in obedience to His
ioly and righteous laws.
The next to be brought was Thom-
IS Scott, and he was followed by one
fter the other until all the members
# the high court who had been ar
rested were disposed of, and they
we're followed by trial of every one
gho was in any way connected with
he execution, even those who served
1t the final moment.
The last accused was William
finished the jury withdrew, but re-
nained only a short time when they
brought in verdict Of guilty against
eight persons beyond any doubt, judg-
nent to be passed on the others later.
The ten regicides who were executed
gree Harrison, Carew, Cook, Peters,
Scott, Clement, Scroop, Jones, Hacker
and Axtel, and as to Hulet, who was
charged with cutting off the kings
head, the evidence was held deficient
Harrison cried out as he was going
to execution that he went to suffer
N the most glorious cause that ever
was in the world; and that there was
more Of God in it than men were
aware Of. Others spoke from the ex-
ccutioner's platform, all of them
glorifying their deed.
The bodies of some of the princi-
pal regicides, that died before the
restoration, viz, Cromwell, Bradshaw,
lreton and Pride, were taken out Of
their graves and dragged on hurd-
les to Tyburn, where they were
hanged up from 10 in the morning
until sunset, and then buried under
The gallows.
The court ordered that the estates
II nineteen Of the regicides who had
lied from justice should be confis-
cated. The three regicides who were
Iapprehended in Holland were: Miles
Corbet, Col. John Okey and Col. John
ierkstead, who were also executed
for high treason at Tyburn. These
we're the last of the regicides that
were punished capitally, and It il said
that they died very penitsnt, exhort-
ing the people to submit to his ~
Iiesty's eovernwonl t3 Z. !, ,s 81