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Show I "VAMPS" WHO I MADE, HISTORY 8 ' By JAMES C. YOUNG. g ( by McClure Newspaper Syndicate.) A NOBLE ENGLISH VAMPIRE. THREE of England's dukes are direct di-rect descendants of Frances Howard, How-ard, bom In 1593, and one of the few English women who may be truly called vampires. Her fs.ther was the earl of Suffolk, and at the age of thirteen thir-teen he married her to the earl of Essex, a year older. But she did not live with him until 1611, though In the meantime she had become mistress mis-tress to the earl of Somerset, favorite of King James I. Frances dabbled with soothsayers and one of these, a Mrs. Turner, got into trouble. She made It known that Frances had considered poisoning her husband, whom she hated. The matter was hushed up and Frances procured annulment of her wedding ties. Then she promptly married the earl of Somerset. Som-erset. Sir Thomas Overby, the earl's friend, earned her undying hatred by opposing the match. Frances schemed to have him Imprisoned Id the tower of London. Then she set out to poison him. Sir Thomas was aware of the plot against his life and took anti-Rotes anti-Rotes which offset the poisons given to him In food. So strong was his constitution that It seemed he never would die. But finally the end came. Then new honors were showered upon Frances and her husband. Despite this, retribution was near. A new favorite arose at cou . the ugly stories of Overby's end re whispered everywhere. Weston, the keeper who had L .it responsible for the death of Overby, was arrested and confessed, He was hanged, then Sir Gervase Hely-wys, Hely-wys, lieutenant of the tower, met the same fate. Mrs. Turner, who had a hand In the plot, also went to the scaffold, scaf-fold, along with the apothecary who mixed the poisons. The earl of Somerset and Frances were tried and condemned. It seemed that both were to pay the heaviest price which the law could exact, but the power of their families finally won a pardon for them, and although their estates were confiscated, each received . a pension and the right to life, when four of the lesser guilty ones had been executed. They were forbidden to stay In London and made to fix their residence resi-dence at a country place. Perhaps this was the severest penalty that could have been Inflicted for Frances grew to hate the man whom she had loved with such Infatuation, and he saw In her only the Instrument of his disgrace dis-grace and the tool of fate which had led to the murder of his friend. The last years of Frances were filled with trngedy and remorse. She died at thirty-nine, leaving an Infamous memory behind her. |