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166
statements equally vague, a capital charge was brought
against him, and Blackwell’s life was now at stake. If the
Council did not succeed in proving a conspiracy, a
conspiracy had to be concocted artificially.
Another proof of the unfairness of the whole
proceedings was the refusal of letting the defendant have his
own counsel. Blackwell had chosen a lawyer named
Springer, the only one whom he knew, and who had
previously done some business for him at Stockholm. He
was declared unfit, because his brother had once been
accused of high treason. In his stead another lawyer, who
seldom or never opened his mouth during the trial, was
appointed, on the understanding that he was neither to
interfere with the course of the proceedings nor speak for
his client, but only to watch the proper observance of
legal formalities. In the meantime nothing was found
in spite of all ransacking: no conspiracy was brought ta
light. A letter from the English Minister at Copenhagen
to Blackwell, and another which reached the Committee
after the commencement of the trial, contained some
veiled expressions with regard to imminent political
upheavals, but these were at worst nothing else but
intrigues of the then common kind among the opposing
parties. Neither did Blackwell’s admission that
plans-had been discussed to procure a greater influence for
England and Denmark in Sweden, to send a more
influential person to Copenhagen as representative of the
latter country, to fit out a Swedish regiment
commanded by scions of the Swedish nobility for service in
England, and so forth, satisfy the enemies of the accused.
Tessin had no intention to rest content with such small
results. He now hoped that by subjecting the prisoner
to torture, confessions concerning a change in the reigning
dynasty might be extorted. Now this was against the
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