Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1891-10-07
ROYAL LIFE IN DANGER.
The Ruler of Austria Narrowly Escapes
Assassin atiOn.

The Ruler of Austria Narrowly Escapes
Assassin alton.
VIENNA, Oct. 1.-Emperor Francis
Joseph arrived in safety at Reichen-
burg, near Prague, this morning, and
with his advent the news of an alleged
attempt upon the life Of the imperial
traveller spread all over Austria. The
general opinion is that the startling
news circulating is either untrue or else
exaggerated to a considerable extent,
but it has caused a great sensation in
spito of the doubts thrown upon the
statement.
During the night, it appears, an at
tempt wac made with dynamite bomb
to blow up the railroad bridge
at Rosenthal, a suburb OF Reich
enburg. This outrage is said to-
have occurred shortly before the
bridge Some railroad watchmen, it is,
said, saw the would-be assassins as they
were upon the point of attaching the
bomb to the bridge structure, and by
appearing upon the scene frustrated
their designs.
The railroad officials who have circu
lated this alarming stoiy have not as yet
explained whether the men supposed to
have been engaged in this outrage
intended to destroy the Rosenthal
bridge as the imperial train was ap-
preaching it, or whether it was the al
legged assassins' design to wait until the
Emperor's train was upon the bridge.
The official investigation shows that
two bombs charged with nitro-glycerine
were placed in the gutter or draining
portion of the tunnel of the bridge,
Attached to these bombs was time
fuse, evidently calculated to act or cause
perial train was passing the mined spot,
The assassins seem, however, to have
miscalculated the time the train
was to pass. In any case the fuse acted
at about IL: 80 P. NJ, Wednesday, before
the imperial train even drew near to
the dangerous location. The explosion
destroyed the masonry above and about
the bridge and disturbed the roadbed,
but did not affect the bridge structure.
The railroad officials who had been
attracted to the scene Of the explosion,
after making thorough examination OF
both the bridge and the road bed, set 81
gang of men to work upon the latter,
and soon had Lit in state of good repair
Consequently when the imperial train
passed at o'clock this morning there,
was little or no trace of the explosion.
No arrests have been made in connec--
ton with this attempt, and the officials
who have charge of the investigation
profess to be Of the opinion that the ex-
ploslon was intended as a demOnstra-
ton of disapproval with some of the
Emperor's acts, and that those engaged
in the demonstration" had no inten--
ton of taking the life of the Emperor
Now that it is officially admitted that
explosive bombs have been used in
some manner along the line of the En-
peror's journey, the utmost excitement
prevails. The general feeling is one OF
Indignation against those engaged in
the conspiracy, and the Emperor's
loyal subjects are unanimous in
expressing the hope that the
bomb exploders may be caught and
severely punished even if their act was
only some kind of a political demon
stration." The police are actively en-
gagged in following up clues already OBJ
tanned, and further revelations and pos
sible arrests are expected at any mo-
ment.