Morris tribune., 1881-07-28


PAGES from us. Victoria had just turned to
the left to look at horse, and could moi
understand why her ears were ringing, as,
from its being so very near. she could hard
ly distinguish that it proceeded from shot
having been fired. The horses started and
the carriage stopped. I seized Victoria's
hand, and askedif the fright had not shaken
her, but she laughed at the thing. 1 then
looked again at the man. who was still
standing in the same place, his arms crossed
and pistol in each hand. His attitude was
so theatrical and affected it quite amused
me. Suddenly he again pointed his pistol
and fred a second time. This time Victo1ia
also saw the shot and stopped quickly
drawn down by me. The ball must have
passed just above her head"
This was not pleasant feature in an
afternoon drive. The queen, however,
continued her, course undaunted, with the
cheerful and simple courage natural to her
and went on to her mother, to carry the
first news of the outrage and to set all
anxiety to rest upon its effect Afterward
I'VE took a short drive through the park,
partly to give Victoria little air; partly,
also, to show the public we had not lost
confidence in them" The queen at the
time was in state of health such as is of
ten affected seriously by very small mat
ter. tut her sound nerves and high spirits
defended her better than armor and mail.
The wretchcd culprit was dissipated lad
Of seventeen, apparently moved by moth
ing more Serious than depraved vanity and
desire to be notorious. 1t is not certain
whether there was bullet in the pistol he
fired, and the convenient plea Of insanity
was brought in to save England the bother
of executing such a being for high treason
Only the other day, during the sitting Of
the commission on lunatic Rsylums, il
was mentioned that this pitiful crimina
was still negotiating among the madmen-
more respectable in their real misery thar
he-but not insane; ''as sane as any of us,
the doctor said who spoke of him. Thirty.
seven years of imprisonment are perhaps
on the whole, even to the meanest spirit
| as hal d a punishment as one swift hanging
once for all.
Two years later, at very nearly the same
place, and the same time of the Year, 6
still more exciting incident of the same
kind occurred. Prince Albert saw, in the
middle of the day, on Sunday, on the re.
turn from church, "a man step out of the
crowd and present pistol full. He was
| some two PAGES from us. I heard the trig.
|
turned to Victoria, who was seated on m,
right, and asked Did you hear that?' She
had been bowling to the people on thu
right, and had heard nothing. I said: 8
may be mistaken, but I am sure saw
some one take aim at us. Nothing was
said publicly, however, on the subject. NJ
| one among the queens immediate attend
ants had observed it; and the prince, though
he informed the police and the minister
was half disposed to believe that he hat
| himself been deceived. However, during
the Sunday afternoon, several coTroborra
tons turned up. A boy who was among
the crowd had seen the incident, and hac
seen and spoken to third spectator VIII,
| had also perceived it. This was enough tt
set the police and authorities in activity
and the vague danger thus known to exis
| conveyed q certain excitement into tn,
palace. "We were naturally much agitated
| Victoria very nervous and unwell," sayI
Prince Albert. Notwithstanding the queer
went out for her daily drive as usual
though such precautions as could be taker
were adopted. "You may imagine" con
tinues the narrative, that our minds wer,
not very easy. We looked behind ever,
tree, and cast my eyes around in search
of the rascaPs face. x On ou
way home, as we were approach
ing the palace, between tie Gree,
park and the garden wall, shot was free
at us about FIVE PAGES off. It was the sam,
fellow with the same pistol-a littl,
swartby, Unlocking rascal. We felt as if /
load had been taken off our hearts, and W,
thanked the Almighty for having preserved
us for second time from so great dan
GER" Her Majesty lold me she had ex
pected it, and it was relief to have i
over" says another witness. "She said
she could never have existed under the I'M
certainty of concealed attack. She would
much rather run the risk at once than hav,
the presentiment of danger constantly how
eripg over her. "
The assailant on this occasion was an
other wretched creature called Francis
equally without any motive of incentmen
which could account for such piece O
cruel and cowardly folly. A still NOR,
wonderful thing, however, remains to b.
told. A month afterwards, just after til,
the trial of Francis, third incident of tn
same kind occurred, a 'deformed man callet
Bean being the culpIit. The cumulatiol
in itself must have had very painful
effect on the queens mind, since nothing
worse could have occurred to the most hatet
desrot than these repeated shootings
which threatened the most popular and be
loved of queens. The first of the tire,
naively gave his Interpretation of it after
ward: IF had been hanged, said Ok
ford, there would have been no more shoot
ing at the queen" Tbs original crimina
despised his imitators. 81 was no
ut all frightened" the queen wrote
to her uncle, "and feel very proud
at dear Uncle Mensdorff calling m,
sehr muhtig very courageous), which
shall ever remember with peculia
pride, coming from so distinguished
an officer as he is" Thus thu
queen gave proof of her valo
under fire-not less an ordeal that her en-
emies were SO contemplate and all tn,
greater as without excitemento or encourage.
ment-a danger encountered not in passion
but in cold blood. The young ladys roya
claim is charmingly contrasted with thu
emotion Of her minister, Sir Robert Peel
not generally demonstrative man, who
on seeing her for the first time after thil
third attempt, could not restrain his feel.
ings, but burst into tears tears as honor.
able to him, in thought of such q dastardl,
insult and outrage, as her steady nerves
and bravery were to the young sovereign
only %, with all the suscepibilities of {
young mother, and all the happiness of {
most happy wife endearing her existence
to her.
The Italian committee charged with Thu
- Jocsx,s. ~, a s.at