St. Landry democrat., 1882-03-18
Attempted Shooting of Queen Victoria.
LONDON. March .,

Late IElS dlttlHotll, do blAN NuStiI- NilE
Princess Beatrice was entering her carriage at
the Windsor railway station, to drive to ths
castle. she was fired at by aman i'll the crowd
happilv without harmful result. The station
was crowded with Elton boys and tDwnspe,
pie, who with their hats raised, We're heartily
cheering her as she crossed the crimsor-ca:-
peted platform to the royal clrrlagt She had
Just entered the carriage, and the aged John
Brown had taken his seat hcsi lie the coach
men, who started the horses. Whlle the air
was still res ,unding with the cheers,
shabby, il-looling man, about thirty
five or forty years old, standing at
the entrance of the statioa-yard among
the other spectators, about thirty PAGES
from the carriage, deliberately raised
pistol and fired at the Queen lie
seemed about to shoot again "hen the re-
vover was struck from his hand by james
Burnside, photographer OF Win lsor. Others
seized him. an the police rushed III ana took
him into custody. Meantime the Queens
coachman drove on as though nothing had
happened. and reached the castle IN safety
The crowd attempted to take the man from
the police. The Elton boys cried Lynch
him. Lynch him." and a rush was made to-
ward the spot where handful OF police pro
tie ted the would-be-assassin, but cab was
sent for, AN 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 a native of London, and was born in Ok
ford street.
1.-THE weapon used was a six -chambercd Colts
revolver, of American make. MacLcan said
he'would not have done what he did had he
not been hungry. 1t appears, however, that
he took hearty meal at a Windsor coffee
house shortly before the attempt. No bullet
marks were found on the Queens carriage.
M,RCH3 3.
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 a wretched look, and is 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 Observation-Disclosures MaeLean."
SupeFIItpHutu CS GuCtl SHOiC w tAC idStS'
of the shooting and also testified to the.
letter found on the prisoner. The letter was
read. 1t said that the prisoner would not
have done the crime had ten shilling5 been
given him instead of the insultingy small
sum of six shllings He was compelled to.
commit the crime against the "bioated arts
tocracy," he added, by "that old lady Mrs.
VIC" The witness further said that this
morning the prisoner wished to make writ
ten statement, saying: Il have a 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
iect of having his grievances redressed. His
pecunary 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 carraGe-d 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:
1.-The intention we prefer to think was no
more than desire to create alarm and gain
notoriety at whatever cost. There is kind
of infamous notorety much coveted by some
disordered minds, which can be cas- ly and GER
tainty earned by such deeds as that of Mac
Lean yesterday. To have fired a pistol at
woman, and that woman the Queen of Ell
gland, confcrs 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 no 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-
a somewhat heavy one. If all other re-
straints fail, and if there are men with
whom decency and maaIiness 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 plea can be admitted
The mere fact that he has been guilty of mo-
tNeless crime may be enough in the opinion
OF professional experts in insanity, but it will
satisfy nobody else If 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
not yet tWenty-one years of age. The would
be assassin, Edward Oxford, half crazy iii
OF seventeen, deliberately fired two shots at
| the Queen as she was passing in a carriage on
constitution Hill. oxford was found insane
by 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
| go 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
rage, but missed his aim. He was tried and
condemned to death, but the sentence was
committed to Imprisonment for life.
! The next attempt was made the day after
the mitigation of Francis punishment was
announced, and was the work of hunch-
backed boy named Bean. He presented a
| pistol at the Queens carriage, but did not get
| chan fc fra ii IaJ with