THE PORTUGUESE ASSASSINATION

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 80, 24 March 1908, Page 4

THE PORTUGUESE ASSASSINATION

j DETAILS of TilK TRAGEDY. QUEEN'S XARROW ESCAPE. TERRIBLE SUDDES OA'SLAI'UHT. Louilou, February 7. 'i'lii* assassination of King Carlos ;uul the Crown Prince Luis was not wholly unexpected. A week before the event newspaper telegrams indicated tint Senhor Franco's dictatorship was atrolching the loyalty of the country to the utmost, and LislKju was full of sinister rumors. Personally po|mlar as the jovial Sovereign was, he was blamed, of course, by Republicans fox* endorsing the policy of Senbor Franco. It is now clear that the outrage of Saturday was not the work of Anarchists, and not- the work of foreigners, ■ but it must bo laid to the book of the Republicans exclusively. They were violent anti-Royalists, and they certainly would have killed Seuhor Franco. It was the merest accident that he was not in the Royal procession. King Carlos, Queen Amclie, and Prince Luis returned to Lisbon from Villavineosa. where King Carlos had a fortnight's shooting. The route w.'s changed, liecause of the whisper of a threatened outrage.

Except lor a few municipal olliei.ils and their line of special troops uo special precautious were taken lor lite safety of the Royalties. This remissness called forth much disapproval. All went well for a hundred yards, when the little procession was about to turn out of the square into the adjoiui/lg arsenal. At that point a group of four men rushed toiward with revolvers. One, perhaps two, had repeating carbines. i hese assassins rushed to the side of the King's landau, and at least a dozen shots were poured into the Royni group. The King's left (shoulder twiteiicu as if stung by a shot, but in an. instant, before one could realised what had actually happened, men with revolvers iu hand converged on the carriage from all sides with a suddenness that seemed to point to tin- fact that the iirst shot was a signal. One man ran behind the carriage, sprang 011 the axle, and pointed a revolver straight at the Kiug's back. It was not till he was right behind the wheels of the carriage, and hardly more than two feet from tile the King, that be lireil, shooting his Majesty through tire spine. The King's head dropped on his chest, while other v men who were running alongside the I carriage lired revolvers. Jt is imI possible to say how many shots were actually discliarged, but tlnere Were , nearly a score. The Queen stood between the King and th e Crown Prince, and calling lor help sought to defend herself, and at the same time to shield her son by striking at the assassius with a bouquet which had been presented to her by a poor god-daughter. At this moment the man who had fired at the King from behind was seized an I killed. After that the people saw ir< more, as the carriage turned the corner into the Arna de Arsenal. The Queen's escape was nothing short 01' miraculous. Had the attack been made a few yards further on the wliol.' party would certainly have been killed, but th 0 arsenal gates were just round the corner, and the carriage being driven there instead of proceeding to the Nccessidadcs il'alaee, the surviving occupants were immediately in safety. J he übove estimate of the number of shots lired is confirmed b.v the fact that 12 bullets were afterwards taken out of the carriage. While the tragedy was proceeding the crowd was paralysed witu horror. )t afterwards dispersed, shops were closed, and no real attempt was made to capture the assassins. The carriage was driven rapidly to the arsenal gat;, and thus the Queen and Prince Manuel escaped any fresh attempts made to slay them. Prince Manuel was sligluly wounded on the arm. The carriage and the Queen's dress were drenched with blood. Terribly wounded, King Carlos died within a minute, and the Crown Prince expired when being lifted out of the vehicle. ■ It is asserted that the plot was liatchjed at a little cafe at Lisbon, where Buica and four companions, one of whom was sometimes absent, sat and | plotted, illustrating their designs with ' matches. I Von know by cable the course of

events that followed this tragedy, the appointment of the Cabinet of Appeasement. the llight of Senhor Franco into Spain, deserted by all his friends, and the young King's manly bearing ail through the perils of the week. lie has always lie en very popular, and his training in the navy has given liiiu all the bonhomie of his father. The news of this tragedy was received in London at i o'clock 011 Sunday morning. Within nil hour King Edward and Queen Alexandra were informed of this terrible event. To his Majesty, King Carlos death is the loss of a person il friend. Both had done much to improte the relations between England and Portugal, which were often strained a fewyea rs ago.

Moreover. King. Carlos was also one of the most popular visitors to this country. Ho was a cheery, good-na-tured, jovial man, a splendid shot at coverside, and an artist of no mean capability. Till he attempted to rule a Parliament and deprived politicians of the opoprtunities to plunder, he was beloved by all classes iu his own country.

\\ hen Portugal was 011 the verge of | bankruptcy in 18112, lie. and his family / renounced 20 per cent, of the endowments paid them by the nation, a snel'ilicc of £23,000 a year, yet in the fallowing year an attempt was made to assassinate King Carlos in the streets of Lisbon. 111 a few months King Ca los would have made a visit to the Republic of Brazil. Both Queen Amclie and the Queen-mother, Maria Pia, were stricken with grief, but their bearing awl longstanding popularity aroused much sympathy.