The Portland daily press., 1896-07-15
JUST A LITTLE FUN.
Unknown Discharges Blank Cartridge at
President Faure.

Paris, July 14.-While President Faure
was entering the grounds at Longchamps
today for the purpose Of reviewing the
troops, d man standing near him fred
revolver. Great excitement ensued and
the man was Immediately seized and dis
armed.
He declared that he had not fred at the
President, and that he had only fired a
blank cartridge. When it was seen that
the President had not been injured the
crowd oheered him again and again.
When the shot was fred President
Faure was seated in his carriage, being
driven over the reviewing grounds to the
stand. He was surrounded by line of
troops. The President was unmoyed and
appeared to take no notice Of the shot.
Reports are in circulation that the man
fired his revolver twice, bus these state
ments are denied. The prisoners asser-
tion that he fired blank cartridge is
generally credited, as no trace of q bullet
can be found. At all events, if there was
bullet IN the cartridge he exploded it
went wide Of It's mark.
A.Later Account.
Paris, July 14-What is claimed in
SOIlc QuGA1 CcEb as al 6uOSA1pp bD <tosdSS1-
nate President Felix Faure, was made at
O. so this afternoon at the parade ground
at Long champs. The day was the 10th
anniversary Of she fall of Bastile and was
celebrated In the usual manner, includ-
ing a review of the troops at Long
Champs, which drew very large CON
course Of people, President Faure, ao-
oompanied by Prime Minister Meline,
Gen. LeMouton de Boisdeffre. chief of
staff of the army, and Gen. Tournier.
left the Palace of Elysee in an open oar
riage and drove TO Long Champs.
AS the carriage passed through the
Porte du Moulientrance to the parade
ground, it was surrounded and the
troops were to ESCORT the Presidents
to the reviewing stand. Before the ve-
hiole had proceeded far, tall and COR
rectly dressed man Of 85 years of age,
drew a revolver, which some eye witness
es declared he discharged apoint blank at
the president. 1t undoubtedly would have
gone hard with the man had he not at
once been seized by the gendarmes.5 He
was conducted to the temporary police
quarters established within the grounds.
The man resisted arrest declaring that
he had done nothing to cause his arrest.
He claims he had not fred the revolver,
and had no insention of injuring the
President. He said the weapon was only
loaded with blank cartridges and declares
that he discharged the revolver IN ex-
uberance of spirits.
@An examination of the revolver ap-
peared to bear out the prisoner g State
inent that blank cartridges were used.
In four chambers, cartridges with no
bullets were found. The prisoner stated
that his name was Francois. but would
say nothing further. M Faure appeared
| unmoyed by the excitement. He paid
no attention to the shot. The police say
| Francois is the same lunatic who recent
ly threw bundle of petitions from the
gallery of the cham ber of deputies into
| the body Of the house, thereby causing a
ssmi-panio among the members, who
| imagined the bundle was a bomb. This
| afternoon Francois was examined by
| Project Pine. He told the project Shat
| in discharging the revolver he merely
| wished to attract attention, but did not
| wish 60 injure anybody.