Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-12-16
Would-be Regicldes.

j ne SiOiCIt DEANS OF sfle LllIu anu
tolerant Lincoln, and of the generous,
large-bearted Garfield, prove clearly
enough that It is not always iyrants at
whom the assassin sims his Slows.
Iadeel, soma uf the best rDiers in his
cory ave A.cs WITH the fate wlic'l OYER
tool, cn.tzo Presidents enonS wbom
l.41y - mentioned Henry ". of Franco
and H'lllia.A the Silent, Prince Of
O-anee.
% goo. aid amica3.b = .o.cFeign
as Queen Victoria, whose sympathy For
Garfield has recently touched every
American heart, has not been Frarej
the pefiis OF tho 6eeret a.temnla Of
would-be regicides.
Nc less tAan five times during Ter
reign Victoria has been assgiln,l 10y
these Derils. In each case, happily, the
assassin has not only failed in his hide
ous purpose, but mas been arresto1 and
dealt With by law.
On the 10Th Of June, 1910, IN the
third year of her reign, the Queen was
driving with her husband. Prince
Albert. They had just emerged from
the gates of Buckingham Palace, when
tic Prince heard q shot very near.
Looking il the direction whence it
cane, he saw little, mean-looking
man standing OF the sidewalk who
presently raised his pistol, and fired a
second time.
Fortunately TIE Queen stopped
quickly, and the bali passed harmiessly
over her head. The man proved to be
G public-house servant, named Oxford.
He was arrested and promptly tried,
but it was proven beyond all doubt
that he was insane; and he was there
fore confined in lunatic asylum. Ok
ford is still living, and is still the in
mate of the asylum.
About two years later, the Qneen was
returning from her afternoon drive on
Constitution Hill, in London, when q
wretched, poverty.stricken creature,
named Francis, fred at her. Victoria
betrayed great presence of mind, and
that same evening showed herself in
the royal box at the opera.
Francis was soon tried; and as there
was no proof of insanity. he was con.
victed and sentenced to be hung. But
the Queen. at whose life he had aimed,
took compassion on him, and changed
his sentence to life-impriscnment.
Within month after Francis at.
tempt, a hump-backed, semi-idiotic boy
named Bean. aimed a pistol at the
Queen as she was passing in her car
riage through st. James Park. Lucki-
ly the pistol did not go off, and the
royal lady passed on unframed.
A still more brutal and insulting as
sault was made on her in the spring OF
1850. The Queens carriage was Just
turning out of Park Lane into Picca-
dilly, when a ruflianly fellow jumped
towards her from the sidewalk and
before her attendants could interpose,
had dealt her quick succession oil
heavy blows across the face, with @
stout stick. The Queens bonnet was
crushed, anda large bruise appeared or
one of her cheeks.
This assailant, whose name was Pate
was with difficulty saved by the police
from the fury of the mob which soor
gathered on the scene. He was found
guilty, and sentenced to transportation
for seven years /; n very mild sentence
for such an act.
The last attempt upon Queen Vic
toria's life was that Of stupid Irisl
boy. in the spring of 1872. He clunf
to the ratings Of Buckingham Palace
waiting for her to emerge. When sht
drove out. he rushed up to the carriage
and presented pistol at her head. Blu
it did not go off. On being seized, tn,
boy. whose name was O'Connor, de
clared that he had made the attemp
because the Queen would not release
tho Fenian prisoners. 1t was found
however, that his pistol was an old ant
worthless one; aud it soon appeared
that he was idiotic.
1t is q he hoped that this is the las
} assault {. It will be made upon so pur,
: q woman. and SO good sovereign, a
Queen Victoria. But the assassin love
a shining mark and no one placed &c
high Us she can be said to be safe from
the violence of luna.ics and fanatics.