Show THE TRIAL BY COMBAT The claim of the Kings King's championship cham cham- lf the the- was Nl reminds was one ona Je of l The l h antiquity i tg the of Conqueror Conqueror- the Conqueror after the battle of Hastings when the dignity was conferred on Robert Robert Rob en ert de Marmion Lord of Fontenay But the championship is closely Interwoven with the trial by combat How many Britons we wonder are aware that trial by combat formed an essential part of British Jurisprudence until the beginning of ot the reign of George IV or how it ended At that time there being a charge of murder against a certain certain- Abraham Abraham Abraham Abra Abra- ham Thornton the gentleman was advised advised advised ad ad- by his counsel to claim his right of trial by battle Accordingly when brought before the Court of Kings King's KingsB Bench B he flung fi ng down his gage A solemn solemn sol aol argument was afterward held on the case when the Judges were unanimous unanimous unanimous that he was entitled to wage his battle The nearest male relative of the deceased a lad of 16 16 being manifestly unable to meet Thornton in combat de declined declined de- de dined any further proceedings The public public pub pub- lic lie feeling was so much outraged that the General Attorney-General of If the day Immediately immediately immediately Imme imme- introduced a bill for abolishing the right of appeal in all criminal cases a bill which however did not pass without without without with with- out opposition opposition opposition-Londin Chronicle |