Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-08-09
Premier CanOvas.

that Senor Canovas del Castillo and his
wife were present yesterday morning at
the celebration of mass in the chapel at
tached to the baths. After mass The pre-
mier was reading and conversing with
some reporters when the assassin ap-
preached and fired three shots at him with
a revolver hitting him in the forehead
chest and left ear. The wounded man fell
to the ground crying, Assassin! Long
live Spain!
The premier was carried to his room AMI
expired at 1:30 pm, after extreme JUNCTION
had been administered to him by priest
Of the Dominican order.
Murderer Roughly Handled.
The murderer, who was Immediately
seized by people who were in the vicinity
of the scene of the crime, was severely
handled and might have been killed had 1t
not been for the protection afforded him by
a number of civil guards who soon ran to
the scene of the assassination. The prison.
en- who declared he had killed the premier
'in the accomplishment of a just ven
geance," at first gave the name oil Rinaldl,
and claimed that the deed was the outcome
of an extensive anarchist conspiracy.
Later, however, the assassin confessed that
his real name was Michele Angine Coli,
that he was twenty-siX years Of age, ma
tive of Boggia, near Naples, and that he
left Italy and came to Spain in 1895.
After reaching Spain, Coli, according to
d
participated in the doings of the various
anarchist associations OF that place and
vicinity. After Sojourning at Barcelona for
some time, Coli visited France and Belgi-
um and returned to Spain in July last
After his return, the anarchist seemed to
have completed the plans for the assassina-
ton of the prime minister He left Madrid
for Santa Agueda at the same time as
Senor Canovas del Castillo and awaited an
opportunity to assassinate the statesman.
In appearance Coli is of medium height
wears a full beard and spectacles, and his
demeanor is that of quiet, lawabiding cit
tZen. He says he is satisfied with having
done Ibis duty and asserts that he had
no personal grudge against the premier
ard was merely obeying orders received
from his superiors in the secret society
to which he belonged. He frankly pro-
fesses anarchist doctrines, says he was
sentenced in 1895 to eighteen months i'm
prfsonment in the jail at Lucera, Italy and
claims that he escaped from there to Mar
seilles, from which port he made his way
to Barcelona.
ReprOac;cd by Sonora CanOvas.
Sonora Canovas, wife of the premier,
who was but short. distance away from
her husband wher the crime was COM
mitted, rushed to his side upon hearing the
shots. AS the premier lay dying on the
ground she bitterly reproached the muir
derer for his crime.
Goll in reply to the agonizing words of
the distracted wife, said:
Il respect you because you are an honor
able lady. but have done my duty and am
now easy III mind, for l have avenged my
friends and brothers of Montjuich.n
MoEtjuich the fortress Of Barcelona,
outside of which the anarchists who have
been sentenced to death for recent cut
RACES have been executed by being shot in
the back The anarchists recently ex-
ecuted outside Montjuich were the last
batch Of the fiends who were guilty of
throwing a bomb on June Z, 1896. into
religious procession about to enter the
Church OF Santa Maria de La Mar, upon
the occasion of the Corpus Christi celebra-
ton. Twelve persons were instantly killed
and about fifty others wounded, several of
whom since died from their injuries. For
this crime twenty-six anarchists were SEN
fenced to death, ard many of them We're
executed. The condemned men invariably
shouted, Long live anarchy" just before
the orders to fire were given.
Expression of the Press.
The Spanish new spapers express great
indignation at COLTS crime. Even the jour
nails that have republican leanings praise
the service of the deceased statesman.
The impartial says:
Yesterday will prove a black date for
Spain. The crime will centuple the indig
nation of society against this would-be de-
stroyer."
A number of the newspapers appear this
morning bordered in black.
A poStmortem examination of the re-
mains of the premier was made this morn
ing prior to embalmipg them for transpor-
tation to this city. The funeral will be
most impressive.
The Indignation expressed at the crime
is shared by all parties in politics, and it
is generally believed that the members of
the colonial secret societies were concerned
in the outrage.
1t is reported that Senior A. Pidal, presi-
dent of the chamber of deputies will be
appointed president of the council of min
isters in succession to the late premier, at
the expiratio of the official nine days
mourning. The ministers for the present
will meet in council daily.
1t developed In the examination before
the magistrate today that Golli succeeded
in firing two shots at the people who ar
rested him when he was overpowered.
Revolutionary Anarchist.
The assassin calls himself revolution
ary anarchist"
Senior Silvela, the leader Of the dissident
~ nServa ftyas haa fnllou,od Tho avoc,r1o -