The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-03-18
THE QUEENS NARROW ESCAPES.
A sketch of the Attempts Upon Her Life from Ok.
ford's to McLean's.

Tarre ~ certainly no sovereign in Europe
who is more worthy of affection and respect
n % ne Queen n England and there is no
rur'r, - Europe where there is so little eX'
cu-.. .l rrgc,ir "a the organization and ad.
u..t.,rl,ou 81 public affairs. Yet scarcely a
.,,,.r.. - II mplrrn Europe--not even the
m.., plpl,,d against Napoleon lII.-has
....u area iauty attacked, though 1t should
ny.ull II ,nt nul IN u few instances was her
..i,4p.i lcu,, C,.u,la ,~ch, aud that without eX-
g, ptI.rI 4. l>stlttlts we're more or less weak
nui.i.d. isr Yeas after her accession, May
10 1879 I u II nan " n arrested on the gar
Il - ,.,I, Of b ,cNlngham Palace who an
upli ir,i NJ, uucpilou of killing her because
NO Prut,.stuu .nuId he suffered to sit on the
throne ut Ea1i,nd \ few days later luna.
ljir. IKE fuo,c ~h" frequently turn up ut our
IOWA waite rust, Mas caught Clambering over
''.rI. .ltsures ~ Windsor TO take possession
o, Jau Castle ~ tue rightful KING OF England,
.l nl the l1ju of July commercial traveller
y - sent Ia prison for two months for persist
az "a getting in the Queens way In Hyde
p Tx. blowing kisses to her and smiling his
u.ayng bosom with all the passion protessed
for the Young sovereign by Dickens in well.
known playful letter.
On June II, 1910, pot,bOy OF seventeen,
Edward Oxford by name, attempted to shoot
the Queen and Prince Albert as they were
passing in low carriage by the garden gate
opening from Constitution Hill. Oxford FREQ
pistol directly at the Queen, then drew Sec
ond Weapon from his breast, and resting ii on
that ne had already discharged, fired it also
with deliberate aim before the by ISLANDERS
could rush on him. The Queen rose in the
carriage, but WAS pulled down by her husband,
but so soon as Oxford had been secured she
stood up again, composed though very pale,
to show that she was unhurt. Oxford, who
was calm and collected admitted his act when
taken before the PIivy Council. Powder and
shot were found at his lodgings with the rules
of the alleged Young English Society, terri.
BILE secret organization whose members were
pledged TO meet armed with brace of pis-
tolls and sword and with a black Grape cap
to cover the face"
The defense showed thatOXtOrd'S grandfather
and iatAer had been of weak mind and he was
found mot gully on the ground OF insanity"
and turned over to an insane asylum for life.
Unless we are in error he was released some
ten or twelve years ago on condition OF his
leaving the country Dr. Samuel Warren who
had an interview with Oxford III jail, came to
the conclusion that he was perfectly sane, and
Oxford told him "A good housekeeping was
want | wanted" Sir Theodore Martin in his
Life of the Prince Consort," thinks it would
have been well had Oxford been dealt with IN
the ordinary way, and adds: THE best com,
mentary ON tie lenity thus shown was pro.
nounced by Oxford himself on being told OF
the similar attempts OF Francis and Bean IN
1912 when he declared that II he had been
hanged there would have been no more shoot
ing ut the Queen" The Oxford affair made
II great sensation at the time, and members OF
parliament competed trriOusly for locks OF his
HAIR when Lie underwent the prison crop.
On lie II Of December, William Jones, a
boy whom the wits dubbed "In-I-go" Jones,
bee ,use Of his pertlnacity, was routed out
from under sofa IN Buckingham Palace and
sent to iali for three months as rogue aud
vagabond He had been concealed IN the pa!
ace tor several days. March Is, lS4l, Jones
was caught III the palace again, but this time
the magistrates induced him to ship on man.
war.
On May 80, 1912, John Francis, the son of a
machlnl.t at Drury Lane Theatre, a young
man who had Ueen out OF employment tor
some months, fired at the Queen as she was
driving rapidly down Constitution Hill, and
missed her, being promptly seized by police
man ana u soldier The Queen behaved with
her usual calmuess and came in for an enthu.
siastc reception at the opera in the evening.
This ume the Orangemen had their innings
and sent up an address OF congratulation on
Her Maesty's escape from "Popish machina-
tons" Francis, who remained doggcdly 81
lent rs to his motives, was convicted and SEN
fenced to death on the 18th of June by Chief
Justice Tindal. He tainted on hearing the
sentence couched in the terrible old terms,
dragging on a hurdle hanging, drawing and
uualtering but his sentence was cOmmutcd to
transportation tor life. II Is by no means Ger
tam that the pistol was loaded, and 1t Is prob
able that 1t was Francis who on the night be-
fore the attempt WAS seen 0y the Queen-so,
at least, she IhOugnt-to present pistol at the
carriage, a circumstance which had prepared
her for the events Of the Eth Francs's am
bitlon was that Of the mUuntebink rather than
OF the assassin. Prince Albert was opposed
70 carrying out the capital sentence RS Judicial
murder and the Queen, who shared his views,
insisted that the attacks would he continued
until the law was changed and sharp and
degrading punishment was substituted tor the
penalties for high treason which the offender
incurred and coveted Her Majesty was right
for on the ID ot July, halfwitted hunchback
named Bean, snapped loaded pistol at her as
she was passing to the Chapel Royal. lie was
punished by eighteen months Imprisonment
In MIlbank for miSdemeanOr, and "A few days
later Peel introduced the "DiIl for the better
protection of the Queens person against minor
offenders" making such attempts punishable
"by transportation for seven years, or by im-
piisonmcnt not to exceed three years, the cul-
pri, to be publicly or privately whipped as OF
ten and in such manner as the court shall d.
rect, not exceeding thrice
On May 10, ls49, an irish brlckiayer named
Hamilton fired pistol loaded with gunpow-
der at the Queen as she was driving down
Constitution HUI. He subsequently, pleaded
guilty and was sent overseas tor seven
wears. Nay 81, 1850, as the Queen was pass
ing out OF the gate of the Duke OF
Cambridge's residence III Piccad'lly, an
ex lieutenant of the Tenth HuS,ars, Robert
Pate by name, who thought himself injured
by the War Office struck her on the head with
a cane, crushing her bonnet and bruislng her
IT. H.. hxru ht-Ctanupr and