THE ATTACK ON KING ALFONSO

Greymouth Evening Star, 15 April 1913, Page 5

THE ATTACK ON KING ALFONSO

PERSISTENT RUMOURS DISREGARDED.

THE KING’S COOLNESS

[PER PRESS ASSOCIATION —COPYRIGHT.]

MADRID. April 14

Persistent rumojirs had been current for clays past that an attempt would ho made on the life, of King Alfonso on Sunday. These, however, were attributed to a desire to deprive the ceremony of oath-tak-ing of its customary splendour and brilliancy. The Queen and Princess of Battenhurg witnessed the ceremony and followed the King in an open carriage. King Alfonso had presented the colours to recruits and was returning at a walking pace. Alegre, quitting the front of the crowd, darted forward, seized the bridles of the King’s horse, and flourished a Browning pistol. . King Alfonso, with his usual admirable coolness, realising the position, with a sudden null at the bridle raised the horse at the moment Alegre fired, and. thanks to his wonderful horsemanship, only the horse’s chest was. hit. A policeman seized Alegre and threw him. deflecting two other shots. The Queen heard the shots and guessed what was happening, and was terrified until the King’s aide-de-camp arrived and reassured her Majesty. Alegre, got a gash an the forehead and on the nose from a policeman’s sabre. There was a terrific struggle before he was mastered.

The crowd carried the policeman shoulder high, and the police had a difficulty in protecting Alegre from the crowd's fury.

King Alfonso, seeing the assailant overpowered, rose in his stirrups and saluted the crowd in a military fashion, and loudly shouted “Viva Espana.” The cry met with an enthusiastic response.

The King dismounted, smiling, not betraying the least emotion. Replying to the eager questions of this entourage, he exclaimed : “Gentlemen, it is nothing." Then he lightly vaulted to his horse and proceeded to the palace. There \Vas a renewed outburst of cheering on reaching the palace, where the King related the incident in jovial teianu to Queen Ena and Princess Christina. Ten minutes later the Great Plaza and the Vearmas were crowded with all classes. The King met with an indscribable ovation on coming to the balcony. This was renewed when he brought the Queen to I lie balcony. The cheering was continued long after their Majesties retired. Alegere i« a native of Barcelona, and was expelled from France six -weeks ago as an anarchist. He obtained work in .Madrid as a. carpenter and wished to avenge Ferrer. Documents found in bis domociie showed that the outrage was the result of an organised plot. Numerous arrests have been made. Alegre informed the Magistrate that on seeing the King he was seized with an irresistible impulse to use his revolver. An unarmed French professor standing by and also a Spaniard and Alegre's wife have been arrested. The professor protests his innocence. A BLACK RECORD. ASSASSINATIONS OF THIRTY YEARS. Assassinations and attempted assassinations of rulers and statesmen have been plentiful during the past thirty years. This period embraces an attempt upon the life of Queen Victoria, and the murders of a Czar of Russia, an Empress of Austria, one French and two American Presidents, two Spanish Premiers, a King of Italy, and a Russian Premier.

The period begins with the assasination of Alexander IT. of Russia, and President Garfield, of America, within a few months of each other, in 1881. No fewer than live attempts had been made on the life of the Czar, and there- were two attempts to kill his successor. The year 1882 was particularly terrible. It was then that the fifth attempt was made on the, lile ol the Queen. This attempt was made by Maclean at Windsor, on March 2nd. The same year will be. remembered as the time of the Phoenix Park murders, when Lord CovendislCand Mr Burke fell at the hands of “.Tnvincihles." About the same time Kintr Milan of Servia. narrowly escaped. Tn 1888 nii atempt was made on the lives of the Ameer of Afghanistan and Pedro IT. of Brazil.

The nineties were marked by some horrible crimes. The Premier of Italy, Signor Crispi, was tired at at Rome, on June 16th. 1894. but the bullet hapnilv missed its mark. Right days later Europe was horrified at the announcement that President Carnot bad fallen'a victim to the assassin's dagger at Lyons, his murderer being an Italian named Caserio Satno. A year later M. Stambouloff, an ex-Pre-vnier of Bulgaria, was assassinated, and in 1396 the Shall of Persia met his death at 'the hands of ;< Sayyid, and President Ejuire was bred at by a man named Francois while driving to the Elysee, this attempt to he followed by another unsuccessful one a year later.

Tim year that witnessed the second attempt on the life of King Humbert witnessed the assassination of Canovas del Castillo, the Spanish Premier. Tt was in 1898 that the Empress of Austria was slabbed by the Anarchist Lucchesi. at Geneva, and that an attempt was made on the life of King George of Greece. A plot was discovered to assassinate the Grown Prince, of Italy when on his way to Vienna to attend the funeral of the Empress of Austria. Two Italian Anarchists who bad been deputed for the purpose were watched by the police in Slvria, and one was arrested, the other having escaped. In 1900 King Humbert of Italy was shot and killed at Monza, by Gaetano Bresci. Tn February. 1991, M. Bogolienoff, a Russian statesman, was killed, and in September of the same year Leon, Czolgoaz assassinated President McKinley, of the United States, at Buffalo. In 1902 M. Sinidgnine, a Russian statesman, was murdered, and an atetmpt was made on the life of the King of the Belgians. In 1903 a lunatic tried to kill President Roosevelt, and Mr Roosevelt has lately been the victim of another murderous at tack. . Tn 1903 occurred the dreadfully sanguinary revolution in Servia, when King Alexander and Queen Braga wore brutally murdered. In 1904 an attempt was made on the life of Senor Maura, the Spanish Premier. In that year, also, M. de Plehve, the Russian statesman, was assassinated, and in the following year Delyanni, the Greek Premier, was a victim. In 1905, too, the Russian Grand. Duke Sergius was murdered, and an attempt was made on the life of King Alfonso, of Spain. The Portuguese revolution, it will he recalled, followed upon the assassination of the King and Crown Prince in January, 1908. . . ■ In 1910 the Prime Minister of Egypt was assassinated. ■ Tn 191 J. the Russian Minister, M. Stolypin, fell a victim to Anarchist passsion. On November 12th, 1912, Senor Canalejas, Prime Minister of Spain, was murIdored. ■; ■ , r . On March 17th .of tins year the King of Greece was assassinated.