New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-10-02
PISTOL OR KNIFE.
COLD STEEL THE MOST EFFECTIVE
49,. WEAPON USED BY ASSASSINS.
STRANGE DEVICES ORGANIZED IN EUROPE TO
COMBAT THE ANARCHY MovEMENT-wHY THE

How much more fatal the knife has been to
the monarchs of the Old World than pistols
guns, or even bombs has been shown once more
by the method employed by the Anarchist Luc
chest to kill Empress Elizabeth. In the New
World. 1t is true. the pistol has been more
effective. two Presidents Of the United States.
as well a number of Chief Magistrates and
dictatOrs of the South American republics. hav
ing been laid low thereby. But in Europe the
aim Of the assassin as a rule has been bad. and
q long list Of unsuccessful attempts to kill Old
World rulers by means Of firearms could be
cited Thus the Anarchist who couple Of years
ago endeavOred in vain to kill King Humbert
while the latter was driving to the races at
Rome made use Of pistol. and the would-be as
sassins of King George Of Greece less than a
year ago made use Of gun. Queen Victoria
has been on several occasions shot at. but never
once wounded while King Amadeus. as well as
the late King Alfonso of Spain. repeatedly had
their lives attempted by regicdes armed with
pistols, invariably escaping without any injury
Gar Alexander III was shot at at least twice
without being hit once by the schoomaster
Solovieff at st. Petersburg and the other
occasion by the Pole Berezewski. at Paris
Plus TX. King Louis Philippe Of France the
Kings Milan and Alexander of Servia. the late
of Denmark, Wurtemberg and Rumana and
Prince Ferdinand of Bulgaria have similarly re-
NAMED unframed when shot at. and in fact the
only Old World ruler that can recall having
been even wounded by a shot was The old En-
peror William. when fired at by Dr. Nobiling.
The reason for this immunity which crowned
heads seem to enjoy whenever firearms are used
by those who have resolved to take their lives
must be ascribed to the fact that in order to in
sure a good aim with either gun pistol prac-
tee and above all, stoadiness of nerve are in
dispensable. neither Of which is, as rule pos
sessed by the regicides
THE WEAPONS OF DANGEROUS MEN.
With a knife. however it is entirely different
thing. and the assassins who resort TO cold steel
as a means of accomplishing their nefariOuS de-
signs are invariably far more dangerous men
than those who content themselves with fire.
arms; for whereas the man who uses pistol or
a gun against monarch can hope to effect his
escape the murderer who draws his knife on
the Amounted Of the Lord faces certain capture
and probable death. Indeed, II needs a rare
dose of courage and desperation TO assail Old
World rulers with knife. for they are usually
we'll guarded When reflects how much
easier it is to protect the chief OF state.
q crowned head or a great parsonage against an
assassin armed with poniard. who Is COM
PEELED to literally throw himself on his victim IN
order to accomplish his object than from
murderer armed with gun pistol. who can
shoot from behind hedge or tree from win
dow or from a rooftop without even being seen.
Il is difficult TO understand why the knife should
have been so much more effcaciOuS In cOnnec-
ton with regicide.
Thus President Carnot, like Empress ELIZA
beth, succumbed to a dagger. being well-ngh
disemboweled by the knife Of Cesario The
Emperor of Austria retains on his left shoulder
the scars of the terrible knife wound which he
received some forty years ago. While old
Queen Isabella of Spain bears likewise hor-
rible scar caused by the savage thrust Of the
poniard with which the priest Matino endeav-
ored to murder her IN 1852 King Humbert
would have been stabbed to the heart at Naples
by Passanante ten years ago had not his Prime
Minister Carroll thrown himself in front Of his
soyereign and received the knife in his own
body. deluging both the King and the Queen
with his blood. King Milans predecessor on
the throne of Servia was cut to pieces by as
sassins in the pay of Prince Karageorgevtch
while walking in the gardens of his suburban
palace, near Belgrade. Napoleon IIIs life was
thrice attempted by Italian assassins armed
with the same kind Of triangular file used by
Lucchesi to kill Empress Elizabeth, the regi-
c;des being in each case betrayed on the very
eve of the time appointed Tor the perpetratioh
of their crime. These peculiarly formed stilet-
tos found concealed about their persons pore
engraved on the hits the word Remember"
destined to recall to the mind of the Emperor
the oath which he had taken when as young
81 n