The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1882-03-17
THE ATTACK UPON THE QUEEN OF
ENGLAND.

4
THE ATTACK UPON THE QUEEN OF
ENGLAND.
LONDON, March 2
Late this afternoon, Is the Queen, with
Princess Beatrice, was entering her carriage at
the Windsor railway station, to drive to the
castle, she was fred at by sman in the crowd,
happily without harmful result. The station
was crowded with Eton boys and townspeo-
pie, who, with their hats raised, were heartily
cheering her as she crossed the crimson-car-
peted platform to the royal carriage. She had
just entered the carriage, and the aged John
Brown had taken his seat beside the coach
men, who started the horses. While the sir
was still resounding with the cheers, q
shabby, Unlocking man, about thirty
five or forty years old, standing at
the entrance Of the station-yard among
the other spectators, about thirty PAGES
from the carriage, deliberately raised
. pistol and fired at the Queen. He
seemed about to shoot again when the re-
volver was struck from his hand by James
Burnside. photographer of Windsor. Others
seized him, and the police rushed in and took
him into custody. Meantime the Queens
coachman drove on as though nothing had
happened, and reached the castle in safety.
the police. The Eton boys cried "Lynch
him! Lynch him!" aud rush was made to-
ward the spot where a handful of police pro-
tected the would-be-assassin, but a cab was
sent for, and the man was got safely away,
though severely hustled
The prisoner, who, to all Appearances, is
thorough "crank," gave his name as Roder-
lex MacLean, aged thirty-two. He stated
that he was clerk, out of employment. He
was native of London, and WAS born in Ok
ford street.
The weapon used was six -chambered Colts
revolver, of American make. MacLean said
he would not have done what he did had he
not been hungry. It appears, however, that
he took a hearty meal at Windsor coffee
house shortly before the attempt. No bullet
marks were found on the Queens carriage.
MARcH3
The prisoner who fired at the Queen was
driven to the town-hall in an open fly at half
past one, in charge of Superintendent Hayes
He has q wretched look, and is q man very
much of the Guiteau type He was unclean
ard unshaven. He has slight mustache. He
was Immediately taken before the Magistrates,
the Mayor of Windsor presiding Mr.. Steven
son. Solicitor for the Treasury, prosecuted. In
reply to the Mayor, the prisoner said, in the
most off-hand manner and firm voice, that his
name was "MacLean-Roderick MacLean."
Superintendent Hayes then swore to the facts
of the shooting, and also testified to the
letter found on the prisoner. The letter was
read. It said that the prisoner would not
have done the crime had ten shillings been
given him instead Of the insultingly small
sum of six shillings. He was compelled to
commit the crime against the "bloated aris-
tocracy," he added, by "that old lady Mrs.
Vic" The witness further said that this
morning the prisoner wished to make a writ
ten statement, say;ngx ~ have q complete
answer to the charge" He then wrote letter.
In it the prisoner said he was not guilty of
shooting at the Queen with the intention Of
doing her grievous bodily harm. His object
was only to cause public alarm, with the OBJ
ject of having his grievances redressed. His
pecuniary straits and circumstances tended to
prove the truth of this statement. Had he
cared to have injured the Queen, he would
have fired at her when she was getting out Of
the carriage. As it was, he shot at the
wheels, but the pistol kicked and the bullet
might have hit the carriage-door. The pris-
oner was remanded.
All the London morning papers have lead
ing articles on the attempt on the life of the
Queen. The Times says.
"The intention we prefer to think was no
more than desire to create alarm and gain
notoriety at whatever cost. There is kind
of nfa N CnVptn1
disordered minds, which can be cas- ly and GER
tain earned by such deeds as that of Mac
Lean yesterday. To have fired pistol at
woman, and that WON IN the Queen of En-
gland, confers on the culprit the most unen-
viable distinction, but distinction none the
less. But the cost has yet to be considered.
We are glad to learn 10 harm has been suf-
fered by her Majesty, but the case might cas-
lily have been otherwise. We trust, however,
that the cost of MacLean's notoriety will be
borne only by himself 1t may chance to be
q. somewhat heavy one. II all other re-
straints fail, aud if there are men with |
whom decency and manliness count for moth |
ing, some strong deterrent must be brought |
to bear. If MacLean proves to be mailman, |
there is no more to be done than to have good |
care taken that he shall play no more mad |
mans pranks of the same kind as yesterday. |
But there must be some good evidence that he |
is mad before such a plea can be admitted. |
The mere fact that he has been guilty Of q mo-
tiveless crime may be enough in the opinion |
Of professional experts in insanity, but it will |
satisfy nobody else. II no more can be said |
for MacLean than could be said for Guteau |
or LEROY, he can as little expect to escape the
punishment he has brought upon himself"
FORMER ATTEMPTS. |
The first attempt upon the life of the |
Queen was made June 10, 1910, when she was |
not yet twenty-one years of age. The would |
be assassin, Edward Oxford, half crazy lad |
of seventeen, deliberately fired two shots at |
the Queen as she was passing in carriage on |
Constitution Hill. Oxford was found insane |
by a jury, and, as is the English custom where |
an acquittal is rendered on that ground, was |
ordered to be confined at her Majestys pleas |
ure. Some fifteen years ago he was released |
from the asylum on condit on that he would |
60 to Australia.
John Francis fired at the Queen May 30, !
1912, from the very spot where Oxford had |
stood. He was but few feet from the car |