Untitled

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXIV, Issue 16193, 20 March 1913, Page 7

A BLACK RECORD. ASSASSINATIONS OF THE PERIOD. Assassinations and attempted assassinations of rulers and statesmen have been plentiful during the past thirty years or 60. 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, a King and Queen of Servia, a King of Portugal, and now a King of Greece. The period begins with th 9 assasination of Alexander H. of Russia, and President Garfield, of America ; within a few months of each other, in 1881. No fewer than five 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 life of the Queen. This attempt was by Maclean at Windsor, on March 2. The same year will be remembered as the'time of the Phcenix Park murders, when Lord Cavendish, and Mr Burke fell at the hands of “ Invinciblcs.” About the same time King Milan of Servia narrowly escaped. In 1888 an attempt was made on the lives of the Ameer of Afghanistan and Pedro 11. of Brazil.

Tho nineties were marked by some horrible crimes. The Premier of Italy, Signor Crispi, was fired at in Rome,-on June 16. 1894, but the bullet happily missed its mark. Eight days later Europe was horrified at tho announcement that President Carnot had fallen a victim to the assassin’s dagger at Lyons, his murderer being an Italian named Caserio Santo. A year later M. Stambouloff, an ex-Premier of Bulgaria, was assassinated, and in 1896 the Shah of Persia met his death at tho hands of a Sayyid, and President Faure was fired at by a man named Francois whil® driving to tho Elysee, this attempt to bo followed by another unsuccessful onq a year later. , The year that witnessed tho second attempt on the life of King Humbert witnessed the assassination of Canovas del Castillo, the Spanish Premier. It was in 1898 that the Empress of Austria was. stabbed by the Anarchist Lucchcsi, at Geneva, and that an attempt was mado on the life of King Georgo of Greece. A plot was discovered to assassinate the Crown. Prince of Italy when on his way to Vienna to attend the funeral of the Empress of Austria. Two Italian Anarchists who had been deputed for the purpose were watched by tho police in Styria, and one wa3 arrested, tho other having escaped. In 1900 King Humbert of Italy was shot and killed at Monza, by Gaetano Bresci.

In February, 1901, M. Bogoliepoff. a Russian statesman, was killed, and in September of the same year Leon Czolgosz assassinated President M’Kinley, of tho United States, at Buffalo. In 1902 M. Sipidguine, a Russian statesman, was murdered, and an attempt 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 attack.•

In 1903 occurred the dreadfully sanguinary revolution in Servia, when King Alexander and Queen Draga were brutally murdered. In 1904 an attempt was made on the life of Senor Maura, tho Spanish Premier. In that year, also, M. de Plehve, tho Russian statesman, was assassinated, and in the following year Delyanni, the Greek Premier, was a victim. In 1905, too, tho Russian Grand Duke Sergius was murdered, ' and an attempt was made on tho life of King Alfonso, of Spain. Tho Portuguese revolution, it will be recalled, followed upon the assassination of the King and Crown Prinoe in January, 1908. In 1910 the Prime Minister of Egypt was assassinated. In 1911 tho Russian Minister, M. Stolypiu, fell a victim to Anarchist passion. On November 12 of last year. Senor Canalejas, Prime Minister of Spain, was murdered. A KING AT HOME. SKETCH OF DEAD MONARCH. One -of tho brightest and most interesting sketches of the dead. Ivmg was written a few years ago by a French journalist, who spent a happy holiday in A.thens. Tho sketch was written, or course, in time of peace, and it represented the Kin" as amiable, energetic and intensely industrious. The statistics about him are, briefly; Born December 24, 1845; offered the Crown of Greece June 27, 1863, in virtue of a protocol signed in London on behalf of Britain, France and Russia. On October 27, 1867, he married-Olga Constantinowna, the Grand Duchess of Russia, and niece of Alexander 11. So much for history; the gossip will bo found more interesting. The King is a hard worker, wrote the journalist. Even in winter he is early in his Cabinet. In summer he receives, independently of his Minis- ( ters. visitors to Athens who have asked audience or him. His usual posture on these occasions is an upright one, and he leans against a little table covered with papers and! documents, which stands in the last of the three apartments on the ground floor into which his study is divided. These rooms are ornamented with pictures, bronzes and marbles, among which are prominently placed on the walls the images ol those who have done well for Greece, so that when a patriotic Hellene has an audienco of the King he suddenly finds himself among his family portraits. Affable and very courteous, - the King meets his guests with great frankness of bearing, the hand held out to them. His slightly guttural voice is well-toned, flexible and engaging. Once the ice is broken, he encourages his guest to be frank, and rather enjoys than resents a difference of opinion.' After his receptions are over, the King, on foot and in company with an aide-de-camp, Colonel Hadjipetros, visits tho various points where ho exercises control, public tresses, ports,. roads in construction, prisons, hospitals (these with the Queen, who is charity itself), then the schools, public and private, particularly Those where tho poorest scholars are taught, in whom his interest is very great. . Queen Olga is as much loved as she is admired, and is a most ■worthy and intelligent Princess, of strong character, and a cultured and generous mind. Physically she is of fine figure and proportions, with a complexion surpassing that of tho most beautiful ..Russians. She wears her dress, in which she takes much delight, with an air of distinction; and at a ball or reception looks a Queen twice over. Sho has been at tho head 1 of many good . undertakings. Many charitable institutions owe their existence to her initiation, notably the model hospital at Athens. During tho Russo-Turkish War she established a surgical school, where women were taught how effectually to care ,for the wounded. In a true sense she is the idol of her people, and it is a standing wonder liow she and her husband, out of the comparatively small civil list, manage to be able to give so much away in charity. The civil list of George I. amounts to little more than £60,000, but, in spite of that, he keeps up a good stylo. His house is beautifully furnished, he. has many fino equipages which ho

buys at Paris—he has two hundred horses in his stables, Arab and Hungarian, his table is sumptuous, his butler and cooks being French; his dress is bought in London, that of the Queen in Paris. At offioial receptions he wears the uniform of an infantry general ; .travelling he dons the dress of an admiral —a rank which ho greatly esteems, as he went through all the grades of the naval profession at Athens. The King is a great sportsman, strongly made, and a capital shot, an excellent horseman, a splendid swim-, suer, an enthusiastic angler and fond of coursiug. He has in the Gulf of Chalis a property called the Petalous—. a small archipelago, which he visits for the fishing- Another property, Tatoi, about an hour, from Athens, wellplaced, wooded, and stocked with game, affords him convenient sport, then his domain, at Corfu—lovely sky, a charming site, and a delightful temperature —is his summer residence. Thither he transports his baggage and his documents. Here the King and Queen affect the life of country gentry, living an easy life, without ceremony. The King concerns .himself with agriculture; the Queen, who is very artistic—in music and painting—gives herself up to painting, in which she excels. She reproduces flowers, which she copies in the open garden, seated on a camp stool, a large hat on her head, and palette in hand. Sho thus composes delightful bouquets, which she gives away to her friends, who are highly proud of them, for the little pictures, signed Olga, in * .fine running hand, would make a true success for the author if she had only her talent to live on. In their country walks the Royal couple arc very fond of making acquaintance with the working folk. As both are very liberal, the fortunate peasant who is enticed to speak to them seldom goes away without a remembrance of the interview. Official life at Athens is very busy and fashionable. During winter the palace is, open periodically for receptions, dinners, balls—there are no theatrical representations for want of actors —and skating. For, since snow and ice never, fall on the .Grecian, hills, except in tho imagination of poets and in mythology, the King has had constructed in his palace an immense gallery with a waxed floor, which, glittering and slippery, affords his guests the joyous delights of skating. On New Year’s Day there is a great dinner, reception and ball, to which are invited the Army, the Court and distinguished tourists. At Athens the custom is for the last-mentioned to' leave their names at the Palace on arrival. ’ Two days after they get an audience and perhaps an invitation. March 25 is the occasion of. a great ceremonial—being the date of the Proclamation of Independence. At Christmas the King, who is a Lutheran, and the Queen, an orthodox Greek, each having a separate chapel in the Palaco for tho other part of the year, make an exception, ana go to service m the metropolis with their children. During Holy Week the King hears, surrounded by his Court and in great pomp, a sermon on the Passion, and on the night,of Holy Saturday the Sovereigns pass the greatest time in the cathedral. At break of day the cannon thunders, celebrating the resurrection, and the archbishop presents the symbolical rod egg to the King, who kisses tho hand of the prelate and signs himself religiously. The Queen, who is very fervent, Fasts during all the week, a,nd inculcates her rigorous sentiments in her children, who are brought up in the Greek religion and taugnt to speak the Greek tongue.