River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1882-03-16
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A ROYAL MARK.
Queen Victoria Fired at while Re-
turning from London to Windsor


On the day of the attempt ON the
queens life the cable simply announced
that the shooting was done by q man
named Mclean.
Since then the following particulars
are given:
The queen arrived at Windsor about
5:25. She had been in London since
Tuesday, where she gave a drawing
room Wednesday in honor of the Prin-
cess Helen who is to marry Prince
Leopold. A crowd assembled at Buck
ingham palace this forenoon, hoping to
see the queen drive out. The demeanor
of the people was as cordial as usual.
There was large crowd of spectators
awaiting the queens arrival at Windsor.
The queen walked across the platform
of the railway station to her carriage,
which was in waiting to take her to the
castle. John Brown had already as.
cended to seat behind the carriage,
when man giving the name of Rod
erick Mclean, miserable looking OBJ
icct, standing at the entrance of the
station yard among the spectators
pointed a pistol at the carriage and
fired. To Judge from the report the
pistol was not heavily loaded. The
queen. who was not aware of what had
happened, was Immediately driven by
the driver to the castle, but before she
passed by the man had been seized by
the superintendent of the borough
police, who was standing near by. He
was also.
VIOLENTLY SEIZED BY THE CROWD
and only rescued when three or four
policemen came to the superintendent
assistance. The pistol was captured
by one of the crowd. MacLean, who
was miserably clad, was taken into
High street and thence conveyed 10 the
police station in cab. As soon as the
queen arrived at the castle she ordered
an equerry to the depot to inquire if
any one had been hurt. The report of
the pistol was sharp but not loud. Mac
Lean apparently intended firing again,
when his revolver, which seemed to be
a new one, was knocked from his hand
by bystander and handed to the
police. Elton scholars were prominent
in the attempt to lynch MacLean.
Ponsonby, the queens secretary, pro-
ceeded to the police station, and after
obtaining all the information possible.
telegraphed to Gladstone the facts of
the assault. 1t is understood that the
queen has not sustained any shock
MacLean is said to be an inhabitant
of Southsea. The general opinion is
that the act was the result of lunacy.
No bullet marks were found on the
queens carriage. Resolutions express
ing horror at the attempt to assassinate
the queen were passed at various meet
ings tonight, both in London and prov
inoes, including meeting of Irishmen.
The car, the empress of Austria and
emperor William of Germany telegraph
of sympathy. The queen had
her dinner party last night as usual.
No political significance is attached in
any quarter to the outrage.
THE SHOOTER.
MacLean is tweaty-seven years old.
He states that he is grocer's assistant.
The doctors pronounce him sane. The
revolver is a six chambered Colts Amer
lean make. Two chambers were found
loaded, and two recently discharged.
Fourteen ball cartridges were found
on the prisoner. MaoLean says hunger
the crime. The cabinet sent
a dispatch to Windsor expressing graft |
fcation at the failure of the attempt.
In the house of commons, Hartcourt, |
replying to the inquiry from Northcote,
stating that the man MacLean, who
shot at the queen this afternoon,
was a clerk and native of Lon
don. He added that the queen was
not alarmed at the event.
The attempt upon the life of Queen
Victoria on Thursday was the fifth one |
that had been made during her reign. |
Edward Oxford, who made the first at
tempt 1910, was adjuged insane and !
committed to an asylum for life. John |
Francis, who fired pistol at the Queen
in 1912, was sentenced to be hanged.
The sentence was by the Queen COM
muted to transportation for life. John
William Dean fired at the Queen few
weeks later, using pistol loaded only
with powder, wad and the fragments of
a clay pipe. He was apparently in
sane, but was sentenced to eighteen
months Imprisonment at hard labor.
William Hamilton, an Irish bricklayer,
a pistol aimed at her in
1849, pleaded guilty, and was sentenced
to seven years penal servitude.