Arizona republican., 1914-04-28
TRIAL OF ALICE LESLIE
TRIAL OF ALICE llSlE

AlCe LlSle, an IIiSIoll "oAi"h St gentle birth, was arrested, tried, con- victed and executed for treason against the state and this judicial murder has always been considered as jone of the greatest plots on English court records. There was no evidence that she was aware that she was harboring traitors when John Hicks, dissenting minis ter. and Dunne and Nelthrop, others of Monmouth's supporters, applied to her for protection.
 Monmouths rebellion occurred dur ing the middle of 1885. At the time Alice Lisle was in London, but return ing to her home at Moyles Court, on July 20, she received a message from Hicks asking her to shelter him and two companions. Mrs. Lisle knew Hicks as a dissenting minister, and at her trial she claimed that she had inn agined that warrant was out against him for illegal preaching or for some other offense committed in his minis terial capacity.
 A few days later the trio arrived at Movies Court Their whereabouts was at once disclosed by a spying villager 1 to Colonel Penruddock, who the next l day arrived with a body of troops and placed Mrs. Lisle and her guests under arrest
 The trial of Mrs Lisle was begun on August 27. 1865, before Judge Jeffreya i at Winchester. No evidence respecting i Hicks offenses was admitted. and no proof was forthcoming that Mrs. Lisle l had any ground to suspect Hicks of disloyalty or that she had displayed any interest in the Monmouth insur- rection.
 Mrs. Lisle made telling speech in 1 her own defense. The jury declared | themselves reluctant to convict her, but Jeffreys overruled their scruples. and l she was found guilty. The sentence pronounced upon her was that she be burned alive. Pressure was. however, applied and the day of execution was set for September ?.
 Lady Lisle petitioned James IT tc grant her a further reprieve of four days. and to order the substitution oi beheading for burning The first re- quest was refused, but the second was granted. Mrs. Lisle was accordingly heheaded in the market place of Win chester and her body was restored tc her friends for burial
 Judge Jeffreys was one of the mos odious judges who ever administered justice in an English court. He had nc regard for the law. In Alice Lisle. case, she could not. according to the doctrine laid down by the highest all thority be convicted until after tho conviction of the rebels whom she hai ha rbored But Judge Jeffrcys disre- garded this law. and she was sent tt the bar before either Hicks or Nel thorp had been tried
 T It was no easy matter to obtain { verdict for the crown. in spite of tn fact that the witnesses prevaricated The jury, consisting of the principa
 gentlemen of Hampshire. shrank iron
 the thought of sending a fellow crea
 ture to the stake for conduct whicl
 seemed deserving rather of praise thai
 of blame.
 l When the trial was over and the fat
 of the woman was known. this exces
 of barbarity moved the pity and indig
 nation even of the most devoted to tn
 crown. The clergy of Wincheste
 Cathedral remonstrated with the chic
 justice, who, brutal as he was. was no
 mad enough to risk a quarrel on sucl
 a subject with a body so much respect
 ed by the tory party
 Not only the clergy and others higl
 in favor at the court. but ladies of higl
 rank. interceded for the unfortunat
 prisoner. Feversham, whose recen
 victory had increased his influence a
 court, and who. it is said. had beel
 bribed to take the compassionate side
 spoke in her favor Clarendon. tn
 brother-in-law, pleaded her cause Bu
 all was vain. The utmost that cOul,
 be obtained was that her sentenc
 should be commuted from burning t. a beheading.
 \ On the scaffold Mrs. Lisle gave a pa per to the sheriff, denying her guilt The attainder was finally reversed b
 a private of of parliament in 1889, a
 the request of Mrs. Lisle's two daugh
 ters, on the ground that the verdic