The Arizona sentinel. [volume] (Arizona City [Yuma], Yuma County, A.T. [Ariz.]) 1872-1911, 1886-02-27
THE THIRD NAPOLEON.
An Eye Witness Account of Orsini's Das
tardy Course in 1858.

An Eyewitness Account of Orsini's Das-
tardy Course in 1853.
SIN January, 1858, the second day
after my arrival in Paris from En-
gland, l went to the French Opera
house. said DR.. James F. Noyes.
'sThere was also an opera-house known
as the Italian Opera-house. 1 went
with a gentleman from New York,
who was native of Paris. As we ap-
preached the opera-house in cab he
remarked that we would not be able
to get seats 1 asked him why, and he
answered: Because the Emperor is
going to be there; the street is all illum-
mated. 1 looked out of the cab win
dow and saw it was so.
1--WE found on arriving at the opera
house that the seats were all taken;
then he proposed that we should go
to an opera-bouffe in the vicinity. l
told him l would prefer to remain
and see the imperial train arrive, so he
left me at the door of the opera-house.
Soon the police drove all the people
from the front of the opera-house to
the other side of the street, as the royal
party was then expected. 1 crossed to
the other side, directly opposite to the
entrance. The street was narrow and
the buildings high. A large crowd
gathered upon the sidewalk. and 1
was first notified of the approach
of the distinguished party by the COM
motion in the crowd. for at that time [
had not learned to speak French. Look
ING down the brilliantly-ighted street |
saw the party approaching, preceded
bv the Cent-gardes, the usual mounted
escort of the Emperor. When the
Emperor's carriage came to a
halt at the principal en-
trance terrible explosion took place
directly, under the horses attached to
the carriage, which,f, in my innocence,
took to be grand salute. l was some
what dazed by the report 1t was terri
BILE. Instantly a second explosion took
place Immediately under the forward
wheels of the carriage next to the side
on which / stood, for, as you will re-
member, there was no one standing on
the other side of the street. In another
moment third explosion took place di-
rectly under the carriage, when l saw
several gems d'armes help the Emperor
and Empress out of the carriage, sur
rounding and hastily conducting them
into the opera-house. Then seeing the
crowd about me PROSTATE on the pave
ment crying Mon Dieur l ran with all
my might until l got around corner
on a boulevard away from the opera
+ house. After walking and running
fully one square in my excitement,
! turned and went back. and when came
to the corner / heard two men talking
English. walked up to them and asked
what it all meant, and they told me
that an attempt had been made on the
| Emperor life, and that they could not
! find out whether it had been successful
OF not. l told them that had seen il
/ all and that the Emperor and Empress
were safe; that had seen them walk
into the opera-house What they
sad, and you are alive? Many are
killed and wounded 1 told them
stood within thirty feet of the carriage
when the explosions occurred, anC
now l know my estimate wa:
right, for 1 subsequently meas
ured the distance. I did not see who
threw the bombs, but they came from
the side where l stood. l could not ge
to my original position, every one wa:
excluded by the police from the stree
on which the opera-house stood, so
returned to my hotel and waited for my
friend.
The next morning full accounts O
the attempted assassination appeared il
the papers, illustrated with pictures o
the hand-grenades which were thrown
by Orsini. In the course of the nigh
both Orsini and Pianori were arrested
Orsini had been wounded by the explo
sion, and his attempt to obtain surgica
aid led to his arrest. These grenade
were charged with Illuminating powdel
and fragments of iron. They were ova
in shape and as heavy as a strong MAJ
could conveniently throw. 1 subse
Quently saw some of them. The large
end had projecting nipples, which wer
forced in as they struck the ground, ant
thus percussion caps, which ignited tn,
powder, were exploded. 1t was states
that of the crowd on the sidewalk wher,
/ stood one hundred and fifty wer
wounded and seventeen killed outrigh
| and that the Ennpror anroaared IN FIJI