Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-12
KING NAS IN PERIL
2.
Maniac Fired at Carriage in
2Vg
Madrid.
AIMED AT ANOTHER
SHOT wEHf WILD AND NO ONE
HURT.
Police Find Him to Be an Irresponsi-
BILE Crank-Had Letter to
Roosevelt.

MADRID, January 12-Feito, the mono
maniac who on Saturday afternoon fired a
shot with pistol at a carriage In the
royal procession in which the Duke of So
tomayor, the grand chamberlain, was sup
posed to be riding, which caused the cir
culation OF reports that an attempt had
been made on the life of King Alfonso. is
shown by letters found upon him to have a
wife and two children living in Buenos
Ayres, Argentina. The Spanish govern
ment has telegraphed there for informa-
ton regarding Reitos antecedents.
The police are searching for an anarchist
named Pierconti, who was recently expelled
from Argentina and went to Barcelona.
where all trace Of him was lost.
Shooting Occurred Saturday.
A dispatch from Madrid says: While King
Alfonso of Spain. Dowager Queen Christina
and the court were returning from church
in Madrid Saturday afternoon man, who
afterward gave his name as Feito, fired
pistol at one of the carriages II 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 win
dow, but he was Immediately jagged back
into his seat by the queen mother. The es-
cort OF civil guards threw themselves upon
the would-be assassin and overpowered him.
Feito was taken to the police station.
where he said he did not desire to kill the
king, but the grand chamberlain. the Duke
of Sotomayor, at whose carriage he had
aimed.
He was searched, and in his pockets were
found unmailed letters marked Regis
tered" and addressed to President Roose-
Welt, King Edward. the Emperor of Ger
many and the president of the high courts
of justice at Mexico, and also receipts for
number of registered letters and visit
ing card Of the mayor of Madrid.
Feito later was put under examination by
magistrate, to whom he repeated his
statement as to the object Of his shooting.
He insisted that he was not an anarchist
and said that his wife, a French woman,
had confined him in a lunatic asylum. The
prisoner, in making this statement, did not
appear excited but there are indications
that he is insane.
Police sergeant's Story.
A police se98ea1fa who was the first to
seize Feito, makes the following statement:
After the kings carriage had passed.
Feito, who was standing in front Of me,
raised a pistol and fired at the second car
riage in the procession. Before he could
fire a second timeSI struck him with my
sword. He cried: II
You wish to kill me, but seek the life
of the Duke Of Sotomayor, who is the cause
Of all my troubles"
The Duke of Sopmayor, however, was
not in the second carriage. 1t was occu
pied by the Marquis de La Nina, the court
grand equerry and two palace guards.
The pistol used by Feito was an old dou-
BILE barreled weapon.
1t now transpires that Feito was confined
for nearly one year in "a lunatic asylum in
Buenos Ayres.O Sinte he returned to Spain
last June he hasTlived chiefly in Madrid,
vainly seeking employment, often changing
his abode, and always attracting notice by
his retiCencp and gloomy aSDect
He pestered people in high positions for
protection and wrote to this end even to
King alfonso and other sovereigns. He
was several times employed as a servant
in aristocratic houses, but was always dis
missed as crazy. Feito alleges that the Ar
gentine government robbed him of hundreds
of thousands of pounds and imprisoned him
when he instituted suit to recover the
money.
A careful official inquiry has shown that
Feito is not connected with anarchists.