ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT DENIED.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXX, Issue 4872, 18 July 1936, Page 5

ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT DENIED.

MEDICAL REPORT TO BE OBTAINED. (Press Association.) London, July 17. What appears to have been an attempt on the life of King Edward VIII. was made at Hyde Park Corned when His Majesty was returning from a Guards ceremony. It appears that as the King rode under Wellington Arch a man pointed a revolver at him, above the heads of the crowd. A horrified constable immediately leaped forward and dealt a smashing blow at the man's arm and the revolver was hurled through the air and hit the King's horse, which shied, but His Majesty kept it in perfect control. A mounted policeman galloped to the pavement and dismounted like lightning. As the King looked round five constables hoisted a man over the heads of the frightened crowd. The whole incident was over in a flash. An American woman visitor commenting on the Hyde Park Corner incident states that a woman who was standing next to the arrested man saw something in his hand and knocked it to the ground immediately. The arrested man, McMahon, is an Irishman, and his real name is Jerome Bannigan. He was born at Cookston, County Tyrone, and his parents now are living in the Govan district, Glasgow. Both are aged nearly 80. At the police station, accused asked anxiously: ' The King was not hurt, anyway, was he. I did not want to hurt him at all. I only did this as a protest." Detective-Inspector Sands said that the revolver was loaded with ball ammunition in four chambers, but there was one unloaded chamber, giving immediate access to the barrel. After the preliminary hearing, the Magistrate, Sir Rollo Campbell, granted a remand in custody for eight days, adding: "I think we ought to have a medical report." Accused's solicitor said: "In view of press reports, the prisoner wishes to say that he made no attempt at assassination and had no intention of committing assassination." It was disclosed later that the accused has recently been editing the "Human Gazette," and living in London. At the Police Court Detective-Inspector Sands stated that when accused was taken by car to Cannon Row police station he said: "It is all the fault of Sir John Simon, Home Secretary. I wrote to him last night and telephoned him this morning." Messages of relief at the King's escape have been received from the Italian and French Embassies, from Herr Hitler for Germany, from Dr. Schuschnigg for Austria, from King Leopold for Belgium, and from Lord Galway for New Zealand. POLICE ANTICIPATED TROUBLE. • INTENSIVE SEARCH FOR McMAHON. LETTERS TO THE HOME OFFICE. (Press Association.—Copyright.) (Received 11.45 a.m.) London, July 17. It is revealed that the police attempted to get into touch with McMahon on Wednesday, an officer calling at his home at 9 a.m., but he had already left. The reason for the police visit is not disclosed, but it is believed to be connected with the communication from McMahon to the Home Office. Special officers searched for McMahon among the crowd at Wellington Arch-immediately before the incident. They had received letters about McMahon and been told by Mrs. Van der Elst that he had a revolver. Mrs. Van der Elst said: "I first came in contact with McMahon when I was fighting a by-election. I met him only casually, but once during the election he became a little obstreperous and was ejected from the committee room."