Daily Kennebec journal., 1903-01-12
SHOT WENT WILD.
King Alfonso Has Narrow Es-
cape While Driving.
Man, Probably Insane, Fires at the
Royal Carriage.
Is Arrested-ciaims to Have Meant
Duke of Sotomayor.


Dowager Queen Christina and the
court were returning from church. SAT-
urday afternoon, a man, who ALTERS
ward gave his name as Feito, fired a
pistol at one of the carriages In the
royal procession. The bullet went wild
and no one was injured.
The King heard the shot and put his
head out of the carriage window, but
he was Immediately dragged back into
his seat by the Queen mother, who was
seated beside him in the carriage.
The escort OF Civil Guards immedi-
ately threw themselves upon the
would-be assassin and overpowered
him.
Feito was taken to the police sta
ton. where he said he did not desire to
kill the King, but the grand chamber
lain. the Duke of Sotomayor, at whose
carriage he had aimed.
He was searched and in his pockets
were found unmailed letters marked
Registered and addressed to Presi-
dent Roosevelt, King Edward the En-
peror of Germany and the president of
the high court of justice at Mexico,
and also receipts for number of reg
istsred letters and visiting card of
the mayor of Madrid.
Feito was later examined by magis-
trate. to whom he repeated his state
ment as to the object of his shooting.
He insisted that he was not an An
archist and said that his wife, French
woman. had confined him in lunatic
asylum. The prisoner in making this
statement did not appear excited, but
there are indications that he is insane.
The minister of the interior has tele-
graphed to the prefect of the province
that the attempt was directed against
the grand chamberlain and not against
the King.
A police sergeant who was the first to
seize Feito. makes the following state
ment:
After the Kings carriage had pass
ed, Feito. who was standing in front
of me. raised pistol and fired at the
second carriage in the procession. Be-
fore he could fire second time, 1
struck him with my sword. He cried:
You wish to kill me, but 1 seek the life
of the Duke of Sotomayor, who is the
cause of all my troubles
The Duke of Sotomayor, however,
was not in the second carriage, which
was occupied by the Marquis de Ia
Nina, the court grand equerry, and two
palace officials
Madrid, Jan. 11.--Feito, the man who
fired pistol. Saturday, at the carriage in
the royal procession in which the. Duke
of Sotomayer with the grand chamber
lain was supposed to be riding, was ex-
amined again, Sunday. His bearing dur
ing the questioning confirmed the previous
reports that he is suffering from mono
mania. A careful official inquiry has
shown that Feito is not connected with
Anarchists 1t was first reported that
Feito had attempted to assassinate King
Alfonso. His Majesty received a host of
royal and other congratulations upon his
escape
A dynamite bomb which was sent here
by rail in box from Barcelona has been
found at the railroad station. All at
have been fruitless The bomb reached
here the day before the funeral of Senior
Sagasta and is supposed to have been for
use during the passage of the funeral cor
tege.
When Feito fired at the carriage of the
Duke of Sotomayer yesterday, the Queen
mother and the infanta were much alarm
ed The King was very much cooler, how
ever. and inquired if anyone had been
hurt. After being informed to the con-
trary he chatted with the civil governor,
who walked alongside the royal carriage
giving His Majesty the details of the out
rage. Upon arriving at the palace the
King Immediately repaired to balcony
to watch the excited populace. The
Queen in the meanwhile was so upset that
physicians had to be called to attend her.
The pistol used by Feito was an old
dolble-barreed weapon.
1t now transpires that Feito was con-
fined for nearly one year In a lunatic asy-
lum in Buenos Ayres. He returned to
Spain, last June. since when he has lived
chiefly n Macrld. vaiGl5 Set king employ
ment, often changing i;is a6o0s and al
ways attracting sttenti9n bv his reti-
cence and gloomy aspect. He pestsrei
people in high positions for protection
and wrote to this end even to King AL
fonso and other sovereigns. He was sew
eral times employed as servant in aris-
tocratc houses. but was always dismissed
as crazy Feito alleges that the Argen-
tine government robbed him of hundreds
Of thousands of pounds and imprisoned
him when he instituted suit to recover
the money.