The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-08-22


Fer the second time within five years the
attention OF the world has Just been FNeG
upon an assassin. The first was when
Garnet, the French president. was stab
bed to death, the second the murier of
Premier Canovas. Of Spain. singular
fact Is that IN both instances the asses-
sin was q native Of another country, and
his visit 20 the place OF his crime was for
the express purpose Of committing the deed
which plunged a nation tgto mourning.
II Is often said that with the advance Of
the world comes the deterioration Of those
methods which SAVIOR 81 savagery and alb
/ sence OF anything Ike Justice in the law.
/ Yet history shows ia that assassination
is like an immortal viper, that. crushed TO
| earth, viii sooner or later again raise its
| head and instill its poison into the veins
| or another victim. CanoVas IS declared to
| be the victim OF the International Assoc
| citation OF Anarchists. Ii is alleged that
| the assassin. Coli or Angiolillo was dele
gated by let at a meeting of the Central
Association OF Anarchists In London TO
kin Canovas. The same statement was
made at the time of the death of Carnot
II follows. then disguise ii as We may.
that an association OF ernurderers exists.
just as that oue existed which decreed
that Caesar should die by the hand of
BTutus. IL one win but stop to think,
he viii see that there is another instltu-
tion of the Roman empire which has
come down TO us as healthy and full
fedged as in the days when the yellow
Tiber paid ceaseless homage TO the city
of the Seven Hills that ruled the world.
Caesar was the first statesman OF whom
history tells the story of assassination.
Canovas is the last.
In the centuries which interviewed be-
tween these two crimes, the hand of the
assassin has been busy. Look at the
list: Thomas a Beckett, Emperor Albeit
l. Of Germany. James l. of Scotland, Al
lessandro de Medici, Cardinal Beaton.
David Rizzio. Lord DarnIey. the Earl of
Murray. regent Of Scotland; William of
Orange. Henry III. of France the Duke
OF buckingham. Wallenstein. Archbishop
Sharp. Gustavus Ill. of Sweden; Marat,
the tyrant Of the Revolution: Gen. kicker,
Gear Paul OF Russia. the Duke Of Parma.
Abraham Lincoln. Sultan Abdul-AZiz,
Car Alexander II. of Russia, President
Garfield Lord Frederick Cavendish and
II. II. Burke, at Phoenix park; President
Garnet
These by no means constitute a com
plete list of those who have fallen vic
tins 10 fate and circumstances. They are
merely those who held high places on the
roll Of fame. and whose power over others
was 50 great. their positions such. that TO
murder them would create terror. or per-
sons whose rigid idea of what their cause
required was productive of torture and
other evils 10 those whom their as
sassins represented.
Caesar was the victim OF jealousy al
though Brutus had a fancied grievance.
Canovas' death Is the direct result OF the
execution OF the anarchists at Barcelona
after fortunes which seem almost incred
ible. but are vouched Tor by authorities
which cannot be lightly set aside. The
story OF how this all came about has been
told again and again Surely ii is blot
on the history of Spain. and though for
that cause the world may not pardon an
assassin. there Is no reason why IL should
not read lesson that the rulers Of the
Old World seem 10 have promptly taken
10 heart.
Coming over the list Of assassinations Of
famous persons, the fact becomes evident
that three weapons were the favorites OF
the assassins-the knife the pistol. the
bomb. These three We're occasionally sup
plemented by poison but as rule held
their places as favorites.
All the hlstory-reading world f. familiar
with the death Of David Rizzio. whom love
made the victim OF a trio OF assassins.
Who has not seen that famous painting
that depicts his death al the feet Of tho
woman for whose beauty and love his lie
was sacrifced-Mary. Queen of Scots?
Passing over the earlier assassiuatiOus,
the most notable is found In the sixteenth
century when Henry ". OF France, one
OF the most beloved Of monarchs, was kill
ed by Ravi!lac. A tool Of the order OF
Jesuits. a religious body that was the most
implacable enemy that the French mon
arch had. Nineteen times had Henry's life
been attempted, but Il was not until May H.
1910. that the plot against him reached 4
successful elimination. The people Of
Paris punished the assassin themselves in
the most frlshtful manner for they fairly
tore him TO pieces.
! The one assassination which all historians
in a measure Justify. was the stabbing 10
death Of Jean Paul Marat by Charlotte
Corday. July Is. 17s2 Msrat was tho con-
! frere OF Robesplerre and Danton. Robes
| pierre was bad enough but In Marat a
dwarfed body contained 2 supeTlative
amount ~ viciousucss and lust for blood.
{ Ills assassination was during what Is
[ known as the Reign OF Terror. which none
+ had a greater hand In creating than he. So
fTightful were his cruelties that Charlotte
Corday. a quiet. modest woman Of the peo-
j pie was stirred to what the sans culottes
believed genuine herolsm and today I'm the
minds Of the French people she is more
saint than assassin.
The year lSa was marked by the assas-
snation OF a man 81 whom the world
knows bat little and yet who did vas
i deal for that very world. The man was
Jean Baptiste Kleber. a French general.
/ the gop Of a garden Iaborer IN Strasburz.
while at Cairo. cndeayoring 10 regou-
ate treaty with the Turks. a Turkish
fanatic who had conceived the idea that
! Kleber was enemy OF hts country.
( stabbed him. France was at that time
/ IN "A state Of almost anarchy, and for this
reason the death OF a man who ranked
/ with the greatest field marshais or
! Europe in point Of ability was passed over
I with comparatively slight notice.
! Assassination has been the sword OF
! Damocies suspended over the heads n
( the czars Of Russia Twice has IT fallen.
/ once March a. 1901. and again March -.
ISL. The FIRST event Of this sort was the
/ death 81 the Gar Paul. who in IN actual
fight with his mobiles and officers, was
( straneled. The second death was thai
Of ear Alexander ". who on the date
mentioned. while dining az ST. Peters
burg was killed by "A dynamite bomb cast
by a Nihiilst. The successful attempt
was the last Of 3 number ~ Efforts 10
bring about the death 81 the monarch
I'm the interest ~ the cause ~ liberty -
even though 10 was his uk8se which
+ March ?. 1861. ernancipated %. 80 serfs
I His assassination took place within one
/ year Of the time that ne dissolved the
secret police. hs concession to the very
men who brought about his death.
Coming 1own 10 more modern times. vge
have the assa sslnaticu Of President Lin
coin. April a. ISIS. IN this case the wea-
pom used waz the pistol. and Sergeant
Coroetf who died ia Kansas last year.
avenged the president By fatally shoot
fra Tphm WtsEsa fgractf. fr.r 49, 80