Show y T 1 r 7 WAS INNOCENT L M k Handwriting Expert in in London Now Comes Forward With Statement J Ji i i I That Famous Casket Letters Which Led to Execution of tree the Renowned Beauty Were Not Written by the Luckless Monarch but by William Maitland Her Political In calm resignation to her fate as the historians a S. S I recount it Mary Stuart 1 approached the scaffold supported by two of herr her r faithful maids and J Ji smiled absently while the i 4 death warrant was red read 1 1 1 as though her thoughts 4 had preceded her soul to the spirit land Just be before I 1 fore the executioners executioner's 2 1 ax fell she prayed fer fervently vently for friends and q i- i V I enemies a alike I J J I Ir r iam Nel Nelson n Taft AFTER a lapse laps of nearly three Enid a a. a half hal centuries modern science in inthe the shape of a handwriting expert who has s S i at his c command all the latest chemical c r and microscopic tests has declared declare that Mary Diary Stuart better knoWn as Mary Mary- Queen of Scots was innocent of the crimes crimes which sent her to the scaffold and that the famous famous famous' Casket Letters Letters' which caused her imprisonment ment and later exe execution ution were written not by the luckless luckless luckless luck luck- less d daughter of James V but by William Wil Wit 1 liam m Maitland her political adviser advise and former secretary It is only after a number of years spent in collecting and examining the original records and documents connected connected con con- netted with one of the the most famous mysteries in history that Ainsworth Mitchell editor of the Analyst and handwriting expert of the Home Office in London has Denounced that Mary Stuart could not possibly have written the Casket Letters because of their s 's t r c context th the quality of the papEr paper which differs radically from that used that used at any other time by Mary and other details lJ connected with the handwriting the seals and the ink All ot of of these declares f Mr Mitchell are materially different in the Casket Letters from any of the existing specimens of the correspondence correspond correspond- ence of the Queen of Scots but there are striking similarities between them and the records left eft by William Maitla Mait- Mait la secretary land to Mary before David Rizzio 1 Mitchell J the author of S Science and Criminals an and other works and who has figured in a number of trials where the authenticity of documents played a v vital tal rol role therefore declares that fi fie is convinced beyond the shadow of a an do doubt bt that th the 1 Casket Caske Letters were n written wr by Maitland with the purpose 4 t of securing the removal of his royal r mistress i tres though it is more than pro probable proba- proba probable able a- a ble that some of lI Marys Mary's ary other enemies had a han hand in in the plot which culminated cilmi- cilmi p in her execution in 1587 t 11 P jN ORDER to secure the proper perspective per- per J w. w J- J upon the events which led up der k discovery of the famous letters it t is necessary to go back to the night of t Saturday March 9 1567 when late in 4 y the thc ening evening and in a tiny room or closet i f op opening ning out from her bedchamber the Rr Beautiful young Queen o of Scotland was supping up i g with a little company of hera her a intimates i s Less than three y years ars before Rizzio r r a wandering wand ring musician from Savoy had found o nd his way in an ambassadors train to fo the bleak shores of Scotland and th the porter of Holyrood taking compassion on the exile had allowed him in charity tp pass a night lying ying on a chest which stood in the lodge NOW fow that foreign ou outcast cast was the Queens Queen's favorite and J close Iose t to being the most powerful man IrS in Scotland Y 4 Not long since there had arrived in ini f i r t the t Northern kingdom a handsome youth of Marys Mary's own bl blood od who had journeyed l from England because of t the e tales which had reached him of the superb beauty beau y t b of the Queen of Scots r r The supper was still still on the table w when the door o tr of oi the room opened 3 i without even the formality of a knock y Mary looked up amazed at the intrusion fir v si sion n to see her husband enter uneasy ill and excited What is it my lord 1 she asked him coldly for it was clear that he had been t r 1 drinking He Ie leered at her put an arm arms s around her waist pulled h hr r to him and kissed her oafishly Then u upon on the silence ominous as th the i 4 very steps of doom came a a ponderous 4 r. r a v clanking tread from the anteroom be- be ber r il i. l s Jt P Pr r rt t re c yond Again the door opened and the Countess of Argyle uttered a a. a gasp of the grim specter she b beheld held on the threshold It was a figure armed armedas as for a tourney in gl gleaming aming steel fromI from I head to foot girt with a sword the right hand resting upon the hilt of the heavy dagger in the thc girdle The helmets helmet's visor was raised revealing the ghastly face of Ruthven fri friend na of Mu Murray ray and the exiled lords At the sight of this man whom I she had last heard from as on the point of death and one ne who had risen from his sickbed to carry out the v vengeance nce o othe of the nobles noble the Queen guessed the fear fear- fearful ful rul truth Casting off the theman man who had just embraced her with the s single single word woid Judas Mary Diary rose to her feet What seek y ye ye here my lord lord and and in this this guise was her angry angry- chall challenge Ruthven's burning eyes dropped before her glance He clanked forward a a st step p or two flung out a mailed arm and wi with i h a hand that than shook pointed at David Rizzio who stood silently watching ing him I seek yon man he said aid gruffly Let him come forth forto And why demanded the Queen He is here by ley my will while you are not You shall be made to answer for this Then followed a scene which was none non none too clear Wen even t to those who participated in it The young Queen flung herself between Ruthven and his victim The Thc three other me men in the chamber tried to seize Ruthven The latter drew his dagger dagger dag dag- ger and called to his followers who were waiting g outside the door One man actually ac ac- ac- ac held a pistol to lI Marys Mary's arys ary's breast another overturned the table and if the Countess o of Argyll had not caught a candle all ajl would have been up in darkness Ruthven then ordered Darnley y to hold his wife and Kerr of flung a noise around Rizzio's body and dragged dragged drag drag- ged him off through the outer room and down the palace stairs followed by the Queens Queen's warning that If Davies Davie's blood be spilt it shall be dear blood to some of you remember yo you remember words that that words which Darnley had cause to remember before a year ear had passed A few minutes later a mangled corpse stabbed in a dozen places was carried into the porters porter's lodge and flung into into inte a chest which had had stood in the same place during the three years years that had passed WITHIN WITHIN a week week the Queen of of ot Scotland Scotland Scotland Scot- Scot land rode back into Edinburgh at atthe atthe the head of an army The actual murderers murd mur mur- d of Rizzio fled The rest were pardoned But Darnley did not receive the crown cown he longed for Instead he found himself despised and distrusted by bt every man in Scotland In December of the same year year yeara a remarkable remarkable remarkable re re- re- re conversation took place between between be be- tween the Queen and some of the chief lords of the Kingdom Moray Argyll and Maitland wished tf tb obtain the pardon pardon par par- don of Morton who next to Ruthven had borne the chief part in Rizzio's mur mur- der They believed the best way to obtain obtain ob ob- obtain tain it was to rid the Queen of Darnley and the they went to wait on her accompanied accompanied accompanied by Lord and ana Huntly the man whose evil sh shadow dow falls about this time timea a across ross the page of Marys Mary's life the life the ruffian Bothwell Mary had already applied to Rome for fora a divorce from Darnley and had been re re- re- re fused When the five lords came before her to broach their project her first answer answer an an- answer was that she would consent to no d divorce vorce that would render d doubtful the rights of her infant son the future j f L I fV A 2 i I 4 1 g I Famous Famous for her beauty among monarchs of medieval times times times' was Mary Stuart third child of James V of Scotland who f for r a time tim was Queen of France as well a as Scotland and con can con con- v likely to td become also Queen of England Probably no woman wonia in history has had a more ore tempestuous career career than this Scotch fair lady of many intrigues whose hose death now te is laid to letters said to have been written by forging conspirators con con- spira tors instead of the sovereign herself James VI of Scotland and James I of England To this Maitland of ton ton the the predecessor of Rizzio and theman theman the theman man who it is now claimed forged the Casket Letters replied Letters replied Madam we that are here the principal of Your Graces Grace's nobility and council will find then the n means eans that Your Majesty shall be quit of him without prejudice of your son and although my lord of Moray be a little less scrupulous for a Protestant than your Grace is for a P Papist I am assured that he will look through his fingers thereto and will be behind our doings saying nothing against the rime came In that ag age and in Scotland such words could have but one meaning So it was that Mary answered I will that ye do nothing whereby any spot may be la laid d to my honor or my conscience and therefore I pray you let the matter be in the state it is abiding till God in His goodness provide a remedy Thinking Thinking Think Think- ing to do me service the end may not be conformable to your desires On the contrary it may turn to my hurt and displeasure It is quite evident from these words reported verbatim by three separate witnesses that Mary understood understood understood under under- stood Maitland's offer to kill kiJ her hus hus- band band and and that she had refused his offer Immediately after leaving the Q Queens Queen's presence Argyll Huntly Maitland and Bothwell signed a bond reading That for sae meikle it was thought expedient and profitable for the commonweal by the nc nobility and lords underwritten that sic ane young fool and proud tyran sho should ld bear rule over them for divers causes therefore they all had concluded that he should be put forth by one way or another and whosoever should take tako the deed in hand to do it they should defend and fortify it for it should be by every everyone one of them reckoned and holden done by themselves So ran the death warrant of the long lad who bo had come North to win crown X and and bride so short a time before The sentence was pronounced but the executioner executioner ex ex- ex was not named o 0 It was unnecessary un un- n necessary There was but one man manD D A Adviser and Former Form r Secretary 1 clearly indicated by his past history and his present relations with the Queen as the instrument of Darnley's death This was the Earl of Bothwell a border ruffian ruffian ruffian ruf ruf- fian of t the e worst type ON ON THE day before Christmas Christmas' Morton rece received received ved- ved h and o on the same night Darnley fell violently ill But Darnley did not die die then His recovery was proceeding ding when Bothwell himself himsel met Morton upon the latter's return from exile and openly proposed to him to take part in Darnley's murder Morton Morton Mor Mor- Morton ton refused on the ground that he feared again to incur the Queens Queen's wrath and I Bothwell thereupon assured him that the Queen was a et consenting party to the thep p plot Bring me the Queens Queen's writing for a and I 1 warrant was Mortons Morton's retort will answer answer you At this very time according to the belief of historians who have condemned Mary Mary Stuart upon the evidence of the Casket Letters Bothwell had if in his pocket a series of letters written to him by Mary professing extravagant love for him and urging him to the crime at dt the bedside bedside bedside bed bed- Meanwhile Mry w was s side of her husband and she remained in r until 4 1 TIP Te was man well enough h to n travel and they then set off to Edinburgh Edin- Edin Edinburgh Edinburgh Edin Edin- burgh where th they y were met by Bothwell and conducted to Kirk a This celebrated building consisted of a quadrangle formerly occupied as a Dominican convent adjoining a a ruined church A bedroom on the first floor of the west wing had been fitted up for Darnley and another room room immediately underneath for the Queen and at last came that m memorable morable Sunday February v 9 1568 On this particular evening there wasa was wasa a masque masque and dance at the palace on the occasion of the marriage of o one e of the Que Queens Queen's ns n's servants and she ha had promised to be present Nevertheless she quitted the festivities after supper in order to pass a few hours by t the e bed of her sick husband Bothwell was present present pres pres- ent eat together with Argyll and Huntly three e of the men who h ho had signed the ee bond to p put Darnley out o of existence en While they were in the room a above ove it itis itis itis is said Bothwell's keen ea ear overheard a anoise anoise anoise noise in the room below and he went downstairs to warn his creatures to be silent He is supposed to have found a ablack ablack ablack black heap of naked gunpowder on the floor floo with two of the minor instruments in the plot lot Hay and Hepburn standing over it waiting until all was quiet over over- head 1 ara 9 l n y D Nw lw X Z y J. J X v vt vs i 3 S w iV v. v A aaa b w r b v Y 9 t. t w r G 2 T 4 x joc its y L h n m s y v V. V N M If Y NM q WN i ta r. r r ys A J 1 So successful have modern scientists become in analysis of handwriting that it is declared impossible to perform a forgery that cannot be detected and thus have London handwriting handwriting handwriting hand hand- writing experts comparing other specimens of Mary Stuarts Stuart's chirography declared the famous Casket Letters etters forgeries rl 1 Bothwell according to the story which gained credence at the time stole back into Darnley's room and gave the signal The others prepared to go It was past midnight Mary suddenly recalled retailed her promise to be present at the masque and bade her husband an affectionate fare fare- well Then she walked toward the door of the room and spoke the words which on the opinion of her enemies proved 1 that she had full cognizance of what was to happen It would be just about this time last year that that Davie Davie w was s slain Four persons were left to sleep in the tho wing of the monastery monastery monastery-Darnley Darnley a page who slept at the foot of his bed and two other servants For an hour the lonely youth talked and read himself to sleep Then all was still At 2 o'clock a loud explosion woke the city of Edinburgh The whole west wing of the castle of Kirk Field came down in ruins among which lay the bodies of the two servants one blown to pieces the other still alive But neither Darnley nor his page was there Their bodies were were found under undera a tree forty yards yards' away wa strangled without any sign of fire on them and with their clothes on the ground beside besida them OF HOW they came there there and in what manner they met their fate no explanation ex e explanation ex- ex has ever been forthcoming The mystery of what really took place place on that morning in early February in the castle of Kirk-a-Field Kirk still remains among the unsolved riddles of history But Bothwell after having been |