Norwich bulletin., 1922-01-26
Famous Trial.
TRIAL OF A FAKE KNIGHT HI

When Sir Thomas Percy HonyWood
Courtenay, knight of Malta, a son Of
Lord Courtenay and heir of Lord Mount
Cashell, took up his, residence in the
Parish of Broughton- under-B lean,, in
1892, all the innocent country pumpkins
sat up and took notice and were duly
awed. in their beliefs of the talents and
craftsmanship of their newly found
Knight. ~, He soon settled himself in
the neighborhood and right away gave
the yokels long lectures as to the shame
fus way in which they were being
treated by, the government. He, issued a
small periodical sheet called The Lion"
and often went and spoke before the au-
dience of inno2entg who believed every
word which he s3o(a. and meyer in the
| slightest .deubte1 Tint he was not all
that he professed to be.
His dress was astonishing to say
the least, for he is described by a lady
| Of the time as being "encased in a
superb dress of crimson velvet, richly
| ornameated with gold lacings, tassels.
| and epau,ettes, and he goes about armed
! with sword and dagger, which he oc-
i casionany threatens to use against any
person who happens to interrupt him
It is given out publicly here, and the
| ladies' believe 1t, that his dress cost up-
ward Of 2H0 pounds. and that it was
| made for him by a West End tailor AL
though he is considered handsome he
is much disfigured b. a superabundance
| Of nustache and beard"
But even this lady who seems to
have been very observing pparently
had 20 doubt as to his. identity. Twice
he ran for the house of commons and
| each time he gained the support of the
poorest people but both times he was
| beaten by. a large ma iority. So he pre-
pared IN make ready for the next cleo
ton. He always gathered laree crowd
around him, as any man could or can
even now-by promising and forecasts to
the multitude thai once he was in mar
Lament the people would once more have
full and plenty as they. did in the good
) Old days. It was this zeal in supporting
the lower classes that finally brougn,
about his end, as the following will
show:
In the February following, the revenue
cutter Lively, ca ptured a smuggling YES
sci named the Admiral Hood, and took
all her crew. Upon 2 search being made
Of the craft no contraband goods were
: found but were later found floating in
the bay where the snugglers had thrown
Z them upon seeing that capture was pos
, tive. Thu trial of the smugglers took
place at Rochester, and the men seemed
to be IN a hopeless state as the case
could be easily prc-en against them As
? one of the men vas cling examined, thu
8 tate knight stepped forward and. de.
v clared that. as the man was undefended
5 he would become his advocate. az
! Perhaps the knight was a better ora
:, tor than lawyer, for despite his, defense
the man was convicted Later a nrofes
sional gentleman from London undertool
the defense of the rest of the smueg,er
and Johnny on the Spot" appeared one
IS more, this time. in the. role Of witness
O The tubs of goods found by the officers
he said, did not belong to the smugglers
boat, as he had seen the whole en-
: counter between the. two Ships and ha
ia noticed the same tubs floating in the wa
} ter early in the morning, consequent
they could not have belonged to tn
Admiral Hood. The object of this test
&c mony was no doubt, ito make hinsel
n appear once more in the light of a savio
of the poor, e. z-
To his surprise however. the. srnue
s glers We're convicted, and not long aft
"a er a. summons, was served 4chargin
Courtenay with perjury, He was trie
at Maidstone. before Justice Parke,, o
July 25, 1893, when it was proven h
- the clergyman and other respectful
nc witnesses of Broughton that at the yer
day and hour. of the action between II
AHiNN1St Inc HOOD LIE und2
10 Feb. 1O, the madcap Knight was con
ny tortably seated IN, a pew at Rrouehto
s. church listening to the PARSONS serno
Ihe end of the trial was that ,"Sir Will
OF lam Percy Hollywood Courtenay5 Knig]
ot OF Malta, alias John Thc~.,. disgrace
-, the nobls name, which he had disgrace
the noble names which he had borrow,
INK a 1ackdaw and is convicted bv a i'll,
OIL IL honest English citizens of perrin
OF perjury wilful and corrupt; and . tn,
n ne should be sentenced to three, mo13,
30 IN. prison, and after the expiration :.
that' time should be transported beyoI
the sea, for even.syears- more" s
to A word following will not hurt. h
4st II was found that this grand persona,
81 was no other than a hotel keeper fro
Devon, He was found to be,sinsane h
o Tore MS prison sentence was finished. Al
placed In an asylum: After time
VI escaped from the, asylum and gathers
sh- body of, ever trusting ,yokels arou
ose MN set out to do ''bloody deed.
ed what or where no one knew. He ,gat
cred more as he marched. on until
crowd was stonped by a, constable tt
M man he shot through the heart and
% the MAGISTRATE of: the place read the r
act While doing this, he too was 81
zig by the Knight, who then ordered
ale crowd to fire upon the soldiers of
Forthwith Regiment who char1