The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-09-20
v.-"WHo REALLY KILLED KING HUMBERT OF ITALY"

account of the report. I had seen that
he did not carry a stick. He was prob
ably armed with a knife, and he might
try and give me a thrust with it as he
pushed MI over; but a knife-thrust in
the back is not a very serious thing to
a man who has been in the habit of
wearing a mail shirt for twenty years.
I am ready to confess that my heart
beat faster as [ heard the stealthy
tread coming up behind me: To my
surprise the would-be assassin paused
before he had got within striking dis
tance, and shutfled with his feet on the
flags. Puzzled by these tactics, |
glanced round and saw a young man,
not more than 20 years of age, whose
in every limb. At once I grasped the
situation. The poor wretch s heart had
failed him, and he was trying to put
me- on my guard against himself, in or
der that he might have an excuse for
not carrying out his task.
shook him off in, the course of the next
hour and took the last train to Liver
pool. <-
On my arrival in the states, I lost no
time in seeking out the MAI to whom
my editor friend had furnished me with
an introduction. To the European
reader it may be worth while to explain
that Jersey City practically joins on to
New York, so that it is really a sub
urb of the American metropolis.
I was received with open arms by
this man-an Italian named Ferretti-
and / became a member Of the most in
fuential anarchist club. Among those
I sometimes played dominoes with
there was a long-haired dreamer named
Bresci, a visitor from Paterson. All
this time I passed under the name Of
Tahrun- NV American citizenship l
carefully concealed. .,
I soon saw that some one had in
formed the American group Of my
being bound by oath to kill a crowned
head. On all hands I was treated with
the Difference due to a prospective mar.
himself began to sound me as to my
my victim.
I was careful not to discourage this
suggestion as I had the one made to me
in London. I listened to all Ferretti
had to say with apparent acquiescence.
"Humbert has placed himself at the
head Of our enemies, he urged. "This
Venice conference is a declaration Of
moral ascendencJ we must strike a
blow which will intimidate other rulers
from proceeding against u.s.
AS soon as I could get away I went
into New York and sent a code tele-
gram to my secretary In Paris for him
to decipher and send on to the king Of
Italy. It was in these terms: can
archists in Jersey City, U. s: A., are
looking for man to send against you!
Have ports watched.'
Unfortunately the king paid no at
~tention to this warning. He was a fa-
talist, it seems.
Ferretti returned to the charge be-
fore long. I kept him in play,
neither consenting nor refusing, my OBJ
jeot being, Of course, to retain his con-
fdence. I did not want another man
to be dispatched instead Of me without
my knowledge.
It was not long before others beside
! in tho same direction, It is difficult
I to trace the first birth Of suspicion in
the mind, but a suspicion was born in
mine that these men had some motive
which they had not yet disclosed to me
for urging me to this attempt.
I tested them at last by making a
counter proposal. It was in the club,
late one night, and there were present,
beside Ferretti, another italian who
called himself ''the bear,' a bearded
German named Peters, and a Swiss
matchmaker, who was lame and used
crutches. These four seemed to have
a common understanding.
Peters had been acting as spokesman
and strongly denouncing the proceed
ings at Venice, which he described as