1961-03-11 — Page 18

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ROYAL WHODUNIT

THE King's

house

blew up at two in Was Queen

the morning with an ex-

plosion that woke every- Mary in the

one in Edinburgh.

Sheets of flame licked

from its windows, then

masonry and woodwork plot? asks

was flying through the

air and windows for

miles around were being Henry Lewis

rattled by a great blast.

over their shoulders.

the house in which the King's Men and women came rush- Highness had taken up his ing from their hames with abode was blown up into the coats and shawls hastily thrown air, within the space of a minute, at a time when His Highness lay asleep in bed, and They stopped in their tracks with such violence that nothing as they saw smoke curling from remained intact of the entire the ruins of the house, Kirk-o'-field.

Then with a shock they cried: "The king. They have killed the king!"

called building, wails and all ..

but the whole structure was utterly destroyed and lies in ruins while the corpse of His Grace and of a servant were found at some little distance from the said house.

"In order to

avenge this

Mary Queen of Scots on her way to execution.

1: Page 3-

IKE

Credit card to Paul Chaty

Hongkong.

ESCAPE FROM WINTER

NATURE

loses ils

heavenly glow

As withered leaves carpet

the floor,

1

Colourful flowers lose their

shades,

As they lower their weak

little heads

To bid a soft and sweet good.

bye,

As they mournfully, bow

It was 1567 and the king was not a king as we under stand it. He was in fact Lord Darnley, husband of Mary hideous and treacherous deed, Queen of Scots.

the Queen's Majesty

who There was 2 clanking of would rather lose all she has armour and up hurried the royal than allow such a crime to

go guard under its commander, impunished, commands, in the Earl of Bothwell.

agreement with her nobles and Then, with two torchbearers, Council, that no inquiry be Bothwell began a search. He neglected which

But in April he offered him- rounded by 400 troopers led by Playful animals rush to their may lead to found the body of Darnley the capture and rigorous pun-

self for trial. He helped Bothwell himself. under a nearby tree. Near him ishment of the authors of

arrange the hearing himself. "Come with me," he ordered was the body of his page. godless and unheard-of an act."

her. One of her courtiers drew And he heard

the charge his sword. But The notice went on to offer against

it was soon him read: "James a reward for any information Hepburn,

struck from his hand. Earl of Bothwell, about the murderers.

"No bloodshed," Lord of Crichton and

the begged Hails, Queen. "I

will Admiral of

come." And Scotland,

she allowed herself to be taken

Rumours

One of the greatest historical whodunits had begun.

Queen Mary was staying else- where. When the news of the king's murder was taken to her she declared: "They meant kill me as well."

to

But rumours began to chat- ter through Edinburgh.

The king's body, it was said, showed no signs of being blackened or burnt by the ex-

50

and die.

cages,

To

the winter's escape rages. Little birds start to fly

Far away into the sky.

There was not long to wait High for an answer. When the town commander of the fortresses of to Dunbar Castle. The people What is there left for me woke next morning there were Dunbar, Blackness, the Inch new notices.

and Borthwick, commander-in- her rescue, but to their surprise,

of Aberdeen prepared to go to But a winter full of They named as "doers of the chief of the forces in the south she sent them a message saying Dead leaves covering the

misery? deed" the Earl. of Bothwell, Sir ern and western provinces. Archibald Douglas and others. you are accused of having taken

she did not require rescuing. And ended: “And

And the Queen part, in plan and action, in the months after Darnley's death— in May-just three knew about it all."

horrible, treacherous and cruel the Queen married Bothwell. murder and death of the late exalted, mighty and most noble prince, His Grace the King, the

Roared

plosion as might be expected. Bothwell roared

killers.

through most beloved husband

More trouble

of our This touched off trouble

in

In fact, he had not been killed Edinburgh with 50 horsemen, ruler, Her Majesty the Queen Scotland. For to many people by the explosion at all. He had ripping the posters with his

that you

have treacher- who believed Bothwell respon- been strangled. So had his sword, and swearing that if ously set fire to the said house sible for killing the king, this page.

he found the person respon- and with the force of a great was clear proof that Mary had The story grew. They had sible: "I'll wash my hands

in supply · of gunpowder have also been involved in the plot. been strangled in the garden his blood."

caused the whole dwelling to Was she? Historians today while trying to escape from the It was too late. A day or be exploded in the air and so have little doubt that Bothwell

two more and pictures of Both- the

late king has been killed Darley. But Then there was the story of well were being dropped in the treacherously murdered, slain divided on whether Mary was they are the black velvet shoe found by streets. On than was written: and destroyed by you. "involved or not. Damley's body. It was the "Here is the murderer of the

Certainly

nobles shoe. they said, of Sir Archibald king.

thought she was. They rose Douglas, one of Edinburgh's Now Bothwell was at this

against the Queen and her new time the most powerful man in The Queen had notices Scotland. He had a string of posted. They said: "Everyone imposing ranks and titles. And is aware that on February 9, he had the biggest army at two hours after midnight, Scotland behind him.

greatest men.

STAMP

NEWS

in

PRE-ADHESIVE HANDSTRUCK STAMPS

HEN the first Post Office was established in February

of honorary agency of the Hongkong Post Office but under no control; and mails were exchanged directly with the! Indian Post Office.

The handstruck marking introduced in April, 1841 was applied only to the raverse of incoming covers and those received at Hongkong transit.

are

only

in

two postal

There specimens of this marking known to exist, one of 1841, on cover, in which the year type is as illustrated; and one of 1842 in which the last figure of the year is in manuscript.

KONG

This latter specimen fetched that all claims will be settled '£190 in a recent London regularly each month." Postal history auction,

The first handstruck stamp Though the dollar had been indicating prepayment of post. fixed as the standard of cur- age was introduced some time rency on April 17, 1842 there during October, 1842; a red-ink ivas no subsidiary coinage; impression was struck on the cents existed only in

book- face of the covers, and the keeping transactions, and con- amount prepaid separately in- sequently the practice of open- scribed in red (in sterling). ing running accounts with the Post Office grew up.

This strike is another ex-

A register was maintained of tremely rare item; only two letters received and despatch- specimens on paper (not on

ed, and postage accounts were complete covers) are known to kept

"on the understanding have survived.

No witnesses

some

floor,

Little birds chirping no

more.

Not an animal to be found,

Not a bloom on the ground. But the dull and cheerless

5107

Hiding the shameful ceme-

tery's floor.

This is winter, dreadful and

empty,

Devoid of nature and its

beauty.

Oh wait little birds, wait for

for me,

For I would like to fly with

thee.

It may have been because husband. Bothwell fled to no witnesses were called. It Copenhagen where he sat down To fly away on thy wings,

may have been because Both to write his memoirs. well had 4,000 of his soldiers Mary was thrown in prison around the court. But the jury to face an investigation of the swiftly found him innocent of Darnley murder. Letters were the charge.

produced which *secmed

من

Away from winter and all

it brings.

Oh come and let me mount

thee,

Just to settle the business show her guilt. She said they completely Bothwell then offer- were forged. In the end noth-To ed to meet any challengers in ing was proved. But she was single combat. No one accepted. made to abdicate in favour of

A week later, while the her son.

Queen was on her way back Everyone knows how she

from Stirling Castle where she escaped to England dressed as had been seeing the son of her a country girl, was imprisoned marriage to Darnley-the baby for 19 years by Queen Eliza- who was later to become James beth

and finally beheaded, VI of Scotland, and James

I accused of conspiracy - snglish

الله

against

TRANQUILLITY

-Credit card to Majid Gafoor, Hongkong.

from

And remove me

this misery. you, dull winter, I say goodbye,

For through the skies I am

to fly.

But then I will be back one

day.

When you have peacefully

faded away. Credit card to Daya Gulab,

Kowloon

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