Arizona republican., 1914-02-07
U s77ze U Great Trials
 @ History
THE DESPARD
 TRIAL OF 1903

One of the most exciting of the Eng fish state trials of the nineteenth cen tury was that of Colonel Despard and party of conspirators whose inten- tion was, it was claimed, to murder the King and revolutionize the govern ment. This occurred at the beginning of that century, and the conspiracy seems to have spread all over the coun- try, for the uprising against the gov ernment was not confined alone to London, but to every section. There was a general dissatisfaction not only throughout the country, but there were evidences of revolt in the army and navy over existing conditions. It was just a time when conspiracy could easily be rooted in the minds of a people who felt that they were not only misgoverned, but that they were being betrayed.
 It only required a clever and des- perate leader to raise and bring to maturity the dangerous crop of dis affection that had been shown every where Such man was apparently ready to hand in a brave and meri- torious officer, Colonel Despard, who at the time was smarting under a bit ter grievance and whose gallant deeds gave him a great and most dangerous
 influence among the soldiers.
 While soldering in the Spanish Main he appears to have gotten into disputes with the English there, and such seri- ous complaints of his conduct were sent home that he was suspended and re- turned to England to demand the full lest inquiry into his conduct
 Irritated at his treatment, he appears
 to have taken a violent part in poli-
 tics. For a part he took in the Irish
 rebellion of 179S he was arrested and
 committed to to Cold Bath Fields,
 BrideWell, where his harsh treatment
 became the subject of animated dis cussions in both houses of Parliament
 From his first prison he was trans ferred to the house of correction at Shrewbury and thence back to the Bridwell in Tothill Fields, without even being able to learn the particulars of the charges against him, much less to obtain the verdict of a jury on their truth or falsehood
 l The conspiracy, on account of which Despard met his death as a traitor was matched during the spring and summer
 of 1902, and the time for it's execution
 the latter part of November The new i Parliament had lately met and the swearing in of members had proceeded
 so rapidly that it was hoped that on l November 16, the day set for the car 1 rying out of the project. the King
 would attend the formal opening of Parliament
 In those days the royal procession
 assembled in the park at the back of
 St. James Palace and crossed the Nal
 on it's way to St. Stephens Hence one of the mad projects of these men was
 to get one of the soldier conspirator:
 to be selected IS sentry over the Ions
 Indian gun on the Mall, and to loat
 and fire it through the crowd at the moment when the state coach came within range.
 Parliament happily. was not read. and the royal visit was in consequence, postponed to the 23d In the mean time the conspirators were arrested and the miserable project was stifleC in it's cradle. In this conspiracy Coio mel Despard was the only man abov the working classes who apparently ha, share, the others were soldiers anC Workmen.
 Among them, from the very incep ton. was a traitor. Thomas Windsor a co1dio, in ba who oIa, the secret of the conspiracy. and hi evidence, in turn, was sanctioned b, William Francis and Thomas Blades These men gave the government ful information of a plot which was of tn widest and most reckless character. The trial of Despard and other lead CTS in the conspiracy began on Febru ary :, 1903. Spencer Perceval, the At
 torney- Geneial, was in charge of tn
 case. Colonel Despard was tried sep
 arately, the charge being "compassin,
 and intending the Kings death" Sev eral persons testified to Despard hay ing said: His Majesty must be pu to death, and the people will be at lib erty" He was also charged with say ing, "he had weighed everything wei within him, and God may know, hi heart was callous; he would do it witt his own hand.'
 The trial of Despard lasted unti three o'clock in the morning, and tn following day all the other conspirator: were tried and found guilty. The eX { ecution of the sentence was deferred until Monday, the 21st, and in defer ence to the improved spirit of the age the disgusting details legally attendan ! on an execution for high treason wer ! omitted by royal command, and tha ! of dragging the prisoners on hurdle around the prison yard, on the road tC { execution, and the subsequent decapi { tation of the lifeless bodies. olone re { tained.
 } Even on the scaffold Despard pro } tested entire innocence and declared ! that the minister knew that he wa ! guiltless. Colonel Despards dying de ! nial was not believed by the crowd who looked upOn the other sufferer