The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-07-15
From The London Times.

4
ATTACK UPON THE QuEEN.-It is our painful
duty TO announce that cowardly attack was
made upon her Most Gracious Majesty the
| Queen, by man, who, until within the last four
years, held a commission in her Majesty's SER
! vice.
About 30 minutes after six o'clock last eve
ming, her Majesty, accompanied by three of the
| royal children, and ViscOuntess Jocelyn, left
Cambridge-House, Piccadilly, where her Majesty
had been calling to inquire after the health OF
| her illustrious uncle. A crowd had assembled
without the courtyard gates to see her Majesty
depart, and rs the royal carriage passed out of
the gates, person respectfully dressed, and
about six feet two inches high, advanced two or
three PAGES, and with small black cane, struck
a sharp blow at the Queen. The blow took eff
feet OH the upper part of her Majesty's forehead
and upon her bOnnetwhich being of light tex
ture was driven in by its force. The eaet was
seen by great many persons, and rush being
made, the delinquent was instantly seized, and
one person, unable to restrain his resentment,
dealt the man blow in the face which drew
blood. But for the timely rival of the police,
he would have been stillmore roughly handled.
Sergeant Silver, of the division, took him into
ustody ahd conveyed him at once to the Vine
street station.
and Immediately after the occurrence drove up
Piccadilly, on her return to Buckingham Palace,
the spectators cheering her loudly as she passed
along--a mark of loyalty and affection which
her complete self-possession enabled her to ac-
knowledge with her usual courtesy and conde-
scension.
When the prisoner was brought to Nine-street
station, Inspector Whal, the officer on duty, re-
ceved the charge On being asked his name,
he replied, without hesitation, Robert Pate,
describing himself us n retired lieutenant of the
10th hussars, and adding that he resided at No.
81, Duke street, st. James's The evidence of
various witnesses, having been TAKEN the pris-
oner was asked what he had to say to the
charge. He replied that it was true that he had
struck her Majesty slight blow with thin
stick, but he added emphatically, in allusion to
the witnesses, "those men cannot prove wheth-
er / struck her head or bonnet" The prisoner
was then conducted to one of the police cells, the
charge being entered upon the police sheet us
follows:
Robert Pate, aged 43, retired lieutenant
charged with assaulting her Majesty, the Queen,
by striking her on the head with cane, in Pic
cadilly, at 6 p. H., on Thursday. the 9th in
slant"
On being searched there were found upon the
prisoner two keys and a pocket handkerchief
but no money or weapon of any kind.
The stick with which the prisoner struck the
blow was not thicker than ordinary goose
QUILT measured only two feet two innches in
length, and weighed less than three ounces. Oh
course, such Il weapon as this could not, under
any circumstances, occasion very serious injury
and her Maj sty's appearance within two hours
in the royal box at the Covcnt-garden Italian
OPERA proves that she has not sustained much
injury.
After the prisoner had been placed in n cell,
Inspector Field, the chief officer of the detective
force, was sent to search his lodgings Mr..
Field there ascertained that the prisoner had
lodged in the third floor Gan elegant suite of
two years and a half; that he was man of reg
ular habits and paid his bills with great pune
| tuality His father was described to be a man
of large property at Wisbeach, Lincolnshire,
where he formerly carried on business rs an en-
tensve corn factor. A large number Of papers
and documents were seized, but nothing has vet
been discovered which could by possibility ex-
plain the motive of the act
A reference to Harris Army list shows that
the prisoner entered her Majestvs service as
cornet, by purchase, in the 10th hussars, on the
9Th February, lS4l. He was promoted to the
rank of lieutenant on the 22d of July, 1872
and retired, by sale of his commission a short
time previously to the embarkaton of the regi-
ment for India, in 1916.
The prisoner is a respectable looking man
and slightly bald.