Arizona republican., 1914-02-09
U G1ze U Great Trials
 %
 History
THE TRIAL OF
 CATO SREET

All England was in ferment of excitement in 1920 on account of the discovery of a plot to overthrow the king, to murder every member of the cabinet, to seize the public build ings in London, and to proclaim q new government This is known in history as the Cato Street Conspir- acy for the reason that the conspira tors met in a loft on Cato street, London and planned the outrage. The plan had been suggested three years previous, but the conspirators lacked a leader until they at length found Arthur Thistlewood.
 ThistleWood was an eX-officer in the British army. He had married two rich widows. squandered their fortunes, and in his travels in France and America conceived the idea of forcing a republican form of govern ment upon England. He sat about this by melting riots and by other militant methods until finally the tlgger conspiracy presented itself.
 The consprators knew that the cabinet ministers sometimes met at informal dinners at each others houses. Thistlewood arranged to be notified of the next dinner, and with picked gang of thugs he planned to burst upon the diners and put them all to death They were then to seize the Bank of England. the Man sion House and the Tower of Lon don. After they had accomplished all this they planned to proclaim a provisional government" for the country.
 Edwards, one of ThistleWood's lieu tenants, was chosen to find out the time of the meeting of the cabinet, and he reports that they would gath CT at Lord HarroWby's house on the evening of February 22, 1S30 So this date was set for the wholesale slaughter
 It was arranged that all the coli spirators would meet early in the evening of this date, well armed, but two, who were to watch the mansion and report when the party were all assembled When the watchers were satisfied that all the cabinet were present. they set off to Cato street to give the signal Before they reached the loft, however, a cordon of police swooped down upon the criminals, they fought like cornered rats, and Thistlewood and several companions succeeded in escaping.
 A big reward was offered for their capture, and the ringleader was caught the following day The way the plot was discovered was through Edwards, who was government spy and had kept the government posted on every move of the plotters. And vet, as it eventually turned out. he was probably one of the worst of the criminal lot, and upon his es- cape. when things became too warm for Hlm, d reward was offered fol his capture but this was never
 brought about
 on the 8th of March a specia commission was issued to the Lord Chief Justices of England and fo, | the trial of the Cato street con- | spirators, against whom true bills fol 1 high treason were found on the 27f land ne tiials commenced with thar i cf Thistlewood on the 17th of April
 Eleven prisoners were included 1T | the indictment.
 1 Al the trial the history and de.
 taiis of the plot were minutely de- , taled by Adams, an accomplice Foui more witnesses were called to ccn.
 firm his statements, Hiden. whc
 gave the warning to Lord Harrow
 gate. the two Monuments and Dwyei
 sn Irish bricklayer
 The deferse attempted by the pris
 o9+"s' counsel was necessarily of :
 desperate character. They admitted the intention to assassinate Minister! 1 but urged that the whole evidence O high treason rested on the state ments of the accomplices.
 When called up for iudgmen Thistlewood declared that "hc wa. murdered, according to the etiauett, of the court" because not allowe, after the close of his counsel. speech to call witnesses to prov, | what william DWyer was, and tha Adams and Hiden were swindlers. A last Thistlewood became so violen in his address as to require the in. terterence of the court.
 Ings, another of the conspirators threw the whole blame on Edward.
 and denounced him as the real in.
 stigator. Though the usual sentenc, for high treason, with all it's dis gusting details. was passed on al the prisoners, the lives of those who had pleaded guilty were spared ant only Thistlewood Ings Brunt. David. son and Tidd were executed. Whcr Thistlefood. on the scaffold. wa. asked if he repented, he smiled an6 said; Not at all. I shall soon know
 the last Grand Secret"
 England was greatly excited over this Cato street conspiracy, and il became the conviction of vast Lumber that the whole Kingdom wa.
 'n derrired by such plots and tha, only the most strenuous exertions could protect the realm from an out break of horrors-and a season of absolute panic set in.
 Tonorrow-Trial of Brooks for As
 saultinG Sumner.