The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-09-11

Murderer Relieved to He One of n
Slay the SOvereigns of the Old
World - Bereaved Emperor Ex-
tended the Condolences of the
Civilized World.
GENEVA, Switzerland, Sept. 1O.-As
Empress Elizabeth Of Austria was
walking, with her maid from Hotel
Beaurivage to the quay, an assassin
srrang from behind a tree and stabbed
her to the heart with a sharpened,
three -cornered file.
After having been stabbed, from be-
hind,the empress fell, arose and walked
on board the steamer, where she fell.
faintins. The captain did not wish
10 put off from the quay, but did so
at the request of the empress and her
sulte, there being no apprehension that
she was seriously hurt. The steamer
was turned back from the open lake,
ana the empress, unconscious, was car
Iled TO the hotel on a stretcher.
The stretcher upon which the en-
press was carried to the hotel was
hastily improvised with oars and sail
cloth. Doctors and priests were imme-
d!ately summoned and telegram was
sent to Emperor Francis Joseph.
All efforts to revive her majesty were
unavailing and she expired at o'clock.
The medical examination showed that
the assassin must have used a small
triangular file.
After striking the blow he ran along
the Rue des Alps, with the evident in
tention Of entering the square Des Alps,
but before reaching it he was seized by
two cabmen who had witnessed the
crime. They conveyed him to the police
station.
ASSASSIN CONFESSES.
The prisoner made no resistance. He
even sang as he walked along, saying:
II did it, and she must be dead"
At the police station he declared that
he was a starving anarchist, with no
hatred for the poor, but only for the
rich"
Later, when taken to the court house
| and interrogated by a magistrate, in
| the presence Of three members of the
local government, and the police Off
| cials, he pretended not to know French
and refused to answer questions. The
police, on searching him, found a doc
ument showing his name to be Luigi
Laochini, born in Paris, in 1873, and
an Italian soldier.
A great crowd quickly assembled
around the hotels Beanrlvage, where
| the officials proceeded after interrogat-
ing the prisoner. The police searched
the scene Of the crime for the weapon
and the accomplices of the assassin
1t appears. that boatman noticed
| three persons closely following the en-
press, who was making purchases in
| the shops.
The local government Immediately
on receiving the news Of her majesty's
death halfmast the flag on the
Hotel de Vile Cthe municipal offlces)
and proceeded in a body to Hotel Beau
rivage as a token of respect
The excitment increasing many of
the shops on the Kursaal were closed.
The assassin told the magistrate that
he came to Geneva in order to assas-
| sinate another important person." but
had been unable to execute the project.
The reason of his failure he did not
| give, but he declared that it was only
! by accident he had learned Of the
presence Of the Austrian empress in
| Geneva
| The assassin while being Interrogat-
| ed by the authorities said he came to
! Geneva with the intention Of killing
the Due dOrleans, but the latter had
already left.
Luccesei (or LachenD followed the
duke to Evian, about twenty-five miles
northwest of Geneva, on the lake,
where he was again unsuccessful. He
then returned to Geneva and learned
! from the papers Of the presence Of the
Austrian empress. Yesterday he dogged
her footsteps, but found no opportunity
to carry out his purpose, though ne
watched the Hotel Beaurivage all day.
| This afternoon about half past 1 he
said he saw the valet of the empress
leave the hotel and go towards the
landing. He inferred from this that
the empress was going to take the
steamboat, and he hid himself behind
a tree on the quay, with the file con-
cealed in his right sleeve. In a few
minutes the empress, accompanied by
her lady of honor, appeared, and the
assassin struck the file home. Luccesei
confessed that he had been an anarchist
since he was thirteen years old.
"If all anarchists did their duty as I
have done mine,' he said, "bourgeoise
society would soon disappear"
He admitted he knew the crime was
useless, but said he committed it "for
the sake Of example"
In spite Of minute searching, the
weapon OF the murder has not been
found
Dense crowds still surround the ho-
tel this evening.
The general police had no notice of
the visit Of the empress to the city
The empress of Austria was born
Dec. "a, 1887. She was daughter of
| Duke MaXimilian Of Bavaria, and was
married to Francis Joseph, emperor
Of Austria and king Of Hungary, April
"a, 1854. They had three children, the
Archduchess Gisolt, who Is married to
Prince Luitpold, Of Bavaria; the Arch
| duke Rudolph, who married Princess
Stephanie, Of Belgium, and who was
| seemingly assassinated in 1889. and
the Archduchess Maria Valeria, who
married the Archduke Franz Salvador
OF Austria-Tuscany. The late empress
was an enthusiastic horsewoman.
BERNE, Sept. 10,-The president OF
Switzerland and other members Of the
| government were stunned with horror
Continued on Seventh Page.