New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-05-10
SAFEGUARDS FOR RULERS.
,-r POLICE AND THEIR METHODS
of PRoTEcrIoN-QUEEN VICTORIA
cTRIJCK IN THE FACE.


ra few countries either monarchcal or
.,,.or in which the sudden death Of the
TYP tho state at the hand Of an assassin
oa. colculated to produce crisis OF such i'm
- ~, as to shake the political. the admins
p'.,,,. the economic. and social fabric OF the
-. 70 It's very foundations. This being the
no a. q only natural that the most elaborate
co. If protection should be organized for
~ setv of the rulers. and that the Staying OF
~" ,+,er should be regarded as more than an
-s,norv murder. even in Republican countries.
- assassin of President Carnot was treated as
,arricide and conducted to the scanoio al
pa. narefooted and with a Grape veil covering
.,s head and face. Yet that THESE measures
hi' o,,er entirely adequate. is shown by the
-,,r,ber of sovereigns and Presidents VINO nave
hu'.. .,r,hed to the hand Of the assassin in the
:. .b,rtv or forty years, while still more or
hear upon their persons the scars Of
1' inflicted by assailants. Among those
Wv. marked are Queen Isabella of Spain. EN-
lH rrancis Joseph of Austria and Emperor
.,,.,oas of Russia, while the Shah of Persia,
,as murdered last week, has but shared
WV tate of Presidents Lincoln. Garfield and
80, NJ Sultan Abdul-Azz. Of Michael OF
.'..,,a of Alexander III Of Russia. Of Charles
III OF fdiii''' Va ~ -
esyeral more.
contrary TO popular belief, 1t IS no longer the
-.,.souslv apparelled bodyguards who consti-
~ ,be principal safeguard Of rulers. II they
~, sxst 1t Is more for the purposes Of pomp
~. snou, than for protection. The duty Of pro-
,,o nrotection is vested in the hands OF
.,o nolice who are for the most part arrayed
- ,,.in citizens clothes not to attract
- atsnton that might impair their usefulness.
I.assd the general public knows very little
,o,, them and has but a faint Idea or the
ux,ent to which they surround their illustrious
ssarg.s with precautions all the more difficult
:. ADVISE BY reason of the necessity OF Keeping
ham from the knowledge not alone of the out
.,as world but also Of the very people for
rbose benefit they are organized. Thus. the
,ksd men of the A Division of the London
noyce 10 whom is assigned the responsible
d,,v Of guarding the Queen and the Prince OF
Wales not alone from danger but also from an
,ovance are under orders to hide as far as
noss,b,e from them the fact that they have any
risk 10 run, either small or great They are
exnected 10 keep out Of sight as much as pos
chile ard vet 10 be ever on hand in moments OF
trouble and danger. and at all costs to avoid
everything In the shape Of publicity and fuss.
Each year they arrest many lnolVlouais'
SJstly cranks for offences connected with the
royal family, no intimaton of which ever
reaches the ear of the public Mad men ana
mad women without number endeavor 10 OBTAIN
interviews with the Queen as we'll as with the
Prince Of Wales, either by calling at the royal
residences or else by trying TO waylay theih
when they are walking or driving out. The
male cranks are mostly IN love with the queen.
or profess to be her son or husband, while the
= hat how q daughters
or sisters of Her Majesty. or else that they have
bsen secretly married to the Prince Of Wales.
Then, too there are any number or crazy IN
ventors authors and poets who are determined
10 draw royal attention to their unappreciated
genius. With the object Of protecting the queen
from, encounters with people such as tnese'
The police are informed all hour beforehand OF
The itinerary of her daily drive and thereupon
AT certain points along the route constaoies In
plain clothes take up their station IN an uh-
obtrusive manner and do not heslta'e 10
arrest at once ard to remove any Stranger
whose actions appearance are In the least
suspicious. The people thus taken Into CUSTODY
are either warned out of the district In which
Her Majesty may happen to be residing at the
time or else are consigned to the Insanity
Board Of the County Workhouse.
QUEEN vICToRIA's NARROW ESCAPE.
Until last summer these elaborate precau-
lions we-e. relaxed when the court was at Bal
moral. the country for miles around the castle
being the.private property Of the Queen and as
such supp,yed TO be inaccessible to the general
,nhrc Last spring, however a man who sub
seouently turned out to be insane, was cap
tr,rad iust outside the lodge gates Of Balmoral
m the Ral1ater road which the Queen daily
nssse. along on her afternoons drive 1t was
inst before the royal carriage was due that q
nol,cernan- standing outside the lodge gates mac
his asterrton attracted to well-dressed man
with a Wild look in his eye, carrying large
army revolver which he was fourishing about
on that lonely highland road In manner 10
alarm any one who happened to be aware tha1
Her Ma yesty was about to drive past Accord
;ngly he attempted to demonstrate with INC
stranger and on the latter responding there'o
by aiming. the revolver at his race ne srappieu
with him. and with the assistance or young
man who came up threw the reilow 10 he
ground and disarmed him. Brought 10 the bai-
moral lodge gate, he was searched. ana III lilo
pockets was found a letter addressed 10 the
Queen assailing her with the bitteest re-
woaches and also al other document aooresSeu
to Mr. Vanderbilt whose daughter the writer
expressed desire to marry. The SIX chaH'oei >
Of the revolver were all loaded and In small
saochei that he had with him were ffty 40
dtional cartridges 1t was while ne was peihs
searched at the lodge that Her Majesty passed
cut through the gates in happy ignorance OF
the danger which she had 30 narrowly escaped
The man was subsequently discovered TO De
an escaped lunatic. afflicted with homcidai
mama and was at once consigned TO that great
asylum prison for the criminal insane In BerK-
SHIRE. which is known Broadmoor. There ne
VIII spend the remainder Of his days. not by
Virtue Of any commitment Of court OF law
out merely on the strength Of one OF those
survivals Of the old Lettres de Cachet OF Bastile
Gays which are known as Detention during
her Majesty's pleasure" 1t is In this great