The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-04-15
Narrow Escapes of Royalty

NARROW escapes OF hoyaity.
The attempted assassination Of the
Prince OF Wales by the apparently de-
mentei youth Spido, and the escape Of
the intended victim. despite the fact that
two shots were fired at close range.
lends color 10 the claim that q special
Providence watches over the person OF
royalty. In reading history one is struck
By the many instances in which royal
personages have escaped assassination
under the most extraordinary eireuEl-
stances
George III. of England was attacked
twice in the same day. This was IN
May, 1850, when man shot al him IN
Hyde Park bat missed his mark. On
the night of the same day another man
stood up in the pit of the D-nry Lane
Theater, only few feet from the royal
box, and fred pistol polnt-blank 81 the
ence. The King, however, was again
lucky enough TO escape unframed.
Perhaps the best-known attempt at as
sassinatton which was frustrated was
the attempt OF Guy Fawkes 20 blow up
the House of Commons and King James.
The plot aas accidentally discovered by
James himself. who never could forget
or let others forget the wonderful Tore
sight ne fancied he displayed in the mat
ter.
One OF the most extraordinary escapes
from the hands Of an assassin was that
Of Napoleon Bonaparte. when he was
first Consul Of France, IN December. 1890,
The conspirators chose a day when he
was due at the opera. ard planted them
selves on the principal thoroughfare
through which he was TO pass. They
had with them q barrel of gunpowder.
which was placed in a cart. drawn up
at the side Of the street. The barrel was
guarded by one OF the conspirators. st.
Regent. VINO was 10 fire the train and
depart on signal from the other two
assassins, stationed further down the
street. Through some cause the two &C.
completes failed to give the signal IN
time, and the first thing 81. Regent
knew the Consurs carriage appeared
Quickly applying the match 10 the fuse.
st. Regent endeavored to escape. but,
10 his terror. found himself unable 10
pass the wall Of cavalry. the COnsurs
advance-guard. which blocked the street.
a terrible explosion occurred, and the
barrel which was filed with grape-shot.
did horrible damage. Thirty people were
killed and ffty-two wounded, St Regent
himself being terribly manned, but BO-
naparte escaped unhurt.
y somewhat similar attempt was made
upon the life of Emperor Napoleon Ill
on the 18th of January. ISIS. The assas-
sin in this case was the notorious or
SIM. whose famous bombs are said 20
have effected one hundred and sixty dir
fercnt explosions. The attack occurred
when the Emperor and his wife were on
their way TO the opera house, Orsini.
nd u
the terrible little magazines which were
the invention of Orsini himself stationed
themselves along the route by which
the royal carriage was TO travel. When
the carriage appeared in sight. OTsini
and two OF the other cOnspirators hurled
their bombs right under the wheels
There were three terrific explosions. and
when the smoke cleared away the impe-
rial carriage was found 10 be shatter-
ed. both horses killed, the coachnen on
the box of the royal carriage mortally
wounded, but the Emperor and Empress
quite unharmed. Orsini himself received
a terrible wound from his own bomb
An attempted assassination almost dia-
bolical in the preparation ii involved was
the attempt upon the life OF Louis Phil
ippe. made by the assassin FTeschi. on
July %, 1895. on a thoroughfare through
which the King was won't 20 pass.
F'reschi hired a front room on the first
floor OF a house. Stripping the room OF
its furniture. Freschi then lowered the
blind and constructed a diabolical ma
chine consisting OF twenty-five separate
gun-barrels fastened together in the
shape OF the frame Of a fan. These
gun-barrels We're mounted on stout
frame and pointed At the street below
so as TO cover the entire width of the
road. The drawn blind, OF course. hid the
machine from the view Of passers-by
These gun-barrels We're then charged
with powder, and four balls rammed into
each barrel. The touch-holes were all
connected with a train Of gun-powder 81
that the whole twenty-five guns would
fire their one hundred bullets simuitane-
ously. Freschi waited until the time 81
the commemoratiOn az the Kings arces-
sion and then as the procession came
through the street, and the King was
outside his house, drawing up the blind
ne fired the trains Of his Internal ma
chine Twenty-Five guns beiched a show
or of lead. Forty persons surrounding
the King were instantly killed, The
Kings horse was shot, out Louis himself
escaped with a slight Craze on the check
There were altogether FIVE attempts up
on the life Of Louis Philippe, Alleband
making one in 1895. Damiens another IN
1910. and Lacombe and Henri two dis
tinct attempts IN 1876 but the King
seemed TO bear charmed life. and came
out of the various Ordeais UnscatHed-
The German Emperor has been attack
cd three times. but stiil survive Queen
Victoria. popular as she IT, has also been
an object Of attack by the assassin. and
on three different occasions has bad 20
thank Providence for a narrow -.
The Gar Of Russia has had many ar
tacks made upon him.