Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-05-29
The Attempt TO Assassinate Count lis.
mark, of Prussia.

From the London Star, May o.
The scene and the circumstances were
dramatic; and, though the assassin's bull
let missed its mark, the curtain fell upon
q CHASTITY tragedy. On Monday evening
Count Won Bismark had been paving q
visit to his royal master. He was return
ing home along the most magnificent
thoroughfare in Europe. The great
Inter den Linden is like a vast Waterloo
place heightened and ~broadened to ma
jestic proportions, with a double row of
Lindens stretching along beside either
parapet, with palaces, theaters, vasthctels,
glittering shops and brilliant cafes lining
either side. Along this street, crowded
at this early hour of the evening, passed
the tall figure of Count Won Bismark.
Every one recognized the remarkable
face, with its perpetual sardonic express
sion and its deeply set lines. Half way
up the street a young man, a mere strip
ling, walked a lew PAGES behind the Min
lister, as if following him out of common
curiosity, then suddenly pulled arevolver
from his pocket, and fired two shots at the
figure before him. The attempt had not
even the poor redeeming courage of the
bravado, which WAS displayed by that of
Ravalilac, or that of Balthazar Gerard.
The assassin did not meet his foe face TO
face, but fred from behind. Neither had
Blind the nerve Of those renowned assas.
sins. His miserable hand must have shak.
en- like a leaf blown down in the neigh
boring T~hiergarten, although we are sorry
to have to say that it was a hand which
once won prizes at our own honest and
manly rifle contests at Wimbledon. Bis
mark IN a moment turned and seized his
enemy. He behaved with courage and
composure which extort our admiration.
He held the assassin by the wrist, and
though Blind actually fired three shots
while the iron grippe of the Prussian Min
Ister was on his arm, his intended victim
held him SO that every shot must
fire wide of the mark. Whatever
Bismark's defects, want of courage and
nerve was certainly never ranked
among them even by his worst enemies
but on this occasion he displayed a cool |
ness and promptitude which would have
done honor to a veteran soldier. Fortu-
nately for himself, he is a man of sinewy
frame, and his opponent was soon helpless
IN his grasp. The wretched fanatic, Blind, |
was given into custody, and Count Won
Bismark walked away with the full con-
sciousness that an enemy had only done
him aservice. 1t was like conferrlng a
patent of nobility on him. 1t was
more; it was paying him a tribute which,
late, assassination has usually reserved
for the sovereigns and rulers of State. 1t
is only fair to Bismark to say that he went
through the ordeal with infinitely more
than was shown the other day by
Emperor of Russia, who first seized
his intended assassin by the hair, and then
for help, and then began to cry
for joy at his own safety.
Count Won Bismark, people say, walked
along under the shadow of the linden
rows, when he had given his assailant
into custody, calm, u~nconcerned, sarcastic
ever-as if nothing particular had hap
pened, as if he had only Just been dissolv-
ing an u-nmanageable Parliament, or dis
of his customary champagne
luncheon.
The affair after all might have been lit
lie more than a farce. But it soon re-
verted TO its original character. The
wretched creature who attempted the
murder, and who, we regret to learn, is so
nearly related to g distinguished German
Exile, against whose personal honor and
integrity no word has ever been breathed
the wretched Blind crowned his at
murder by suicide. While in
he contrived TO stab himself several
lines in the throat; and the news of his
leath reached London almost simulta-
leously with the news of his arrest.