INTERESTING HISTORICAL EVENTS.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 2901, 10 January 1911, Page 7

INTERESTING HISTORICAL EVENTS.

CARTHUSIANS EXPELLED FROM LA GRAND CHARTREUSE. Early on the morning of April 30, 1903, the last remaining members were expelled from La Grand Chartreuse by a military force by order of the French Republic. La Grand Chartreuse was the chief of the monasteries 0 f the Carthusian Order, and is situated among the rugged mountains, near Grenoble, in France. Though soldiers were sent for the purpose, the six doors had to be broken open in succession to reach the monks, no attempt was made at resistance. The Carthusians, one of the Orders of the Roman Catholic Church, were founded in 1084, when St. Bruno, a native of Cologne, in Germany, retired to the neighbourhood of Chatrouse, a village of Dauphine, with six companions, and built there an oratory, or place of worship, with their cells, or huts, a short distance away. The Order was first recognised by Pope Alexander 111. in 1176. Four years later some members of the community came to England, and a monastery was founded in London in 1371 by Sir William de Manny, one of Edward m's. knights. Henry VIH. dissolved and disendowed all the English monasteries because tho monks would not assent to his separating from his wife. Catherine of Arragon, formerly the wife of his deceased elder brother, for which union he had obtained the Pope's permission. But in 1611, during the reign of James I. Thomas Sutton, a wealthy merchant purchased the site on which the Carthusian monastery stood, for £13,000, and a school, afterwards known as the Charterhouse, was erected upon it. At the French Revolution of 1792 the monks were expelled from La Grand Chartreuse, and their valuable library was destroyed ; but they returned in 1815. In 1880 the majority of the monks declined to "seek authorisation" to remain in their monasteries, so were expelled from all but La Grand Chartreuse, and sought refuge in England, Switzerland, Italy, and other countries. The Carthusians are most widely celebrated for a liquenr they manufacture, the process of making which has always been kept a secret. THE BLIND HERO OF MAGERSFONTEIN. Pathetic indeed was an incident which marked the inspection of the Gentlemen-at-Arms by the late King last year. A tall, well-built, handsome soldier was carefully piloted before his Majesty by a fellow-officer. It was Captain E. B. B. Towse, V.C. whose eyes were shattered while leading* a brilliant charge against the Boers during the South African War. The story of that charge will long live in the memories of the Gordon Highlanders, the regiment which has so many heroic deeds on its roll of honour, and to which Captain Towse belonged. On April 30, 1900, Captain Towse, with twelve men, took np a position on Mount Thaba. He was totally unsupported ; but it was not thought any of the enemy were near. Suddenly, however, a party of Boers, over a hundred strong, who had also made for the position, appeared a hundred yards off. Seeing that they outnumbered the Highlanders, the Boers called upon Captain Towse to surrender. His prompt reply was to give a ringing command to his men to fire and then charge, the Boers being now about forty yards distant. The sudden onslaught af these twelve intrepid Britishers, with their gallant leader, caused the Boers to waver and fall back, and thus the situation was saved. But the victory was dearly bought; for the men, to their great grief, saw a bullet shatter the eyes of their captain, who has, consequently, never been able to look on the Cross of Valour which was duly awarded him. This was not the only deed of gallantry performed by Captain Towse luring the Boer war. Five months previously, on "'Black Monday" (December 11, 1899), at the disastrous Battle of Magersfontein, when Lord Methuen fought 15,000 Boers with 11,000 men, with terrible loss, Captain Towse earned the title of the *Hero of Magertifontein." Concealed in their trenches, the Boers could not be driven out, and Lord Methuen was obliged to retire to the Modder River. A terrible fire from rifles and pom-poms at close range struck down one in five of the Highland Brigade under General Wauchops who also fell, riddled with bullets. Colonel G. T. F. Downman, Captain Towse's commanding officer, was also struck down. But in spite of the hail of bullets Captain Towse hoisted the Colonel on his back and bore him away. It was a gallant deed, well in keeping with the glorious traditions of the famous Gordons.

battle op bothwell bridge.

The defeat of Claverhouse by the Scottish Covenanters in 1679 excited alarm in London, and the Duke of Monmouth, the King's natural son, was sent down to assume command of the Army in Scotland, and restore order. At the head of a well-discip-lined army of ten thousand men, with a complete train of field artillery, and accompanied by Lords Livingstone, Claverhouse, and Dalsell, he marched in quest of the insurgents, and on June 21 reached the village of Bothwell, on the banks of the Clyde, opposite their encampment. Early oo the morning of the 22nd a deputation of the insurgents waited on Monmouth, and stated their grievances. The duke refused to treat unless they first laid down their arms and submitted to the mercy of the King. He allowed them half an hour to decide. The position which the Covenanters occupied was strong and well chosen. In front was a deep and rapid river, irhicb at this spot was crossed by a high, steep, and narrow bridge, having, according to the old fashion, a gaWway in the centre. The left bank

on which the insurgeants were posted was lined with thickets of alder and hawl, and two or three houses, affording excellent cover for the defenders. A strong party, under Hackston and Hall of Haughead, was posted at the bridge, while Balfour and Captain Nisbet, with their foot and horse, defended the bank of the river. The assault was conducted by Lord Livingston at the head of the English foot-guards, who strove to force the gates of the bridge, which the Covenanters had barricaded with stones and logs of timber. Hackston maintained his poet with courage and constancy, and column after column of the enemy was driven back with great loss by the well-sustained fire of the insurgeants; while the troops under Burley and Nisbit repulsed and threw into dis- 1 1 order a detachment of the Royal Arniy which attempted to ford the river above the bridge. The defence was obstinate and protracted, and seemed not unlikely to be in the end successful. But at this .. critical moment the ammunition Qf the defenders of the bridge began to fail. Message after message imploring supplies and reinforcements was despatched to ~the main body of the Covenanters. It is said that a solitary barrel at last arrived, which, on being opened was found to be filled with rasins instead of powder. The English guards at length made good their footing on the bridge, burst open the portal gate, and threw the beams and stones by which it was barricaded into the river. Hackston and his resolute band of followers, their ammunition completely expended, and every support denied them, were overpowered by numbers, and compelled to abandon the important po6t which they had so nobly defended. The way being thus cleared, the Royal Army slowly and with their cannon in front, defiled along the narrow bridge, and formed in line of battle on the south' era bank. No attempt was made by the Covenanters to interrupt this slow, as well as dangerous, movement, and at the very first discharge of the duke's cannon their untrained horses wheeled and rode off, breaking and trampling down the ranks of the infantry in their flight. Their whole army was instantly put to the rout. Monmouth generously exerted himself to stop the effusion of blood; but Claverhouse, burning with revenge for his defeat at Drumclog, made great slaughter among the unresisting fugatives, about four hundred falling in the battle and the pursuit. ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT CARNOT. On Monday June 25, 1894, M. Francois Sadi Carnot, President of the French Republic, distinguished for his integrity and moderation, died from a wound inflicted by the hand of the assassin. On the Saturday previous., though feeling far from well, the President started out to visit the big Lyons Exhibition, which he was to declare open two days later. The city was gaily decorated to receive the President, and the people were most enthusiastic in their welcome. M. Carnot attended a banquet at the Bourse on the Sunday afternoon, and in the evening started for the gala performance at the Lyons Theatre. When driving along he suggested that the cuirassier officers, who were riding on either side of the carriage, should fall back a little, as some of the people wanted to shake hands with him. On their retiring, an Italian anarchist, named Ce6aro Santo Hieronymo, sprang on to the carriage step, and, whilst appearing to offer his hand to the President, stabbed him in the side. M. Carnot fell back, crying, "I am wounded !" and immediately fainted away, while General Borino and the Mayor of Lyons, who were in the carriage with the President, cried out to the officers to arrest the assassin. Meanwhile, Dr. Poncet and others had come to M. Carnot's aid, and, seeing the blood flowing, drove him off at once to the Prefecture. His clothing was soaked with blood, and, on examination, the wound was found to have perforated the liver, with fatal result. The unfortunate President suffered severely from the surgeon's probing, in the vain hope of stopping the internal haemorrhage but nothing could be done to relieve him. The Archbishop of Lyons administered the last Sacraments, and at a quarter to one o'clock in the afternoon of June 25, M. Carnot had passed quietly away. Hieronymo, the assassin, was brought up for trial on August 3, was condemned to death, and paid v the penalty of his crime thirteen days later.