The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1906-06-06
The Lexington Dispatch.
Wednesday, June 6, 1906.
WEDDING MARRIED By
TERRIBLE OUTRAGE.
King Alfonso and Bride Had a Miracu-
Ious Escape from Deadly Bomb.
Sixteen of the Party Were Killed
0utright-RoyaI Carriage SpIintered

IOuo ISSoPS hVuh 1Sooiy Dohho'
Sixteen of the Party Were Killed
0utright-RoyaI Carriage SpIintered
Madrid, May 31.-The public rejoic-
ings over the marriage of King Alton
80 and Princess Victoria had terribly
dramatic sequel at 2:30 o'clock this
afternoon, when a bomb thrown from
an upper window exploded with dead
ly effect near the coach occupied by
the king and queen. Providentially
King Alfonso and Queen Victoria es-
capped by an electric wire DETECTING
the bomb, but at least 16 persons,
most of them being Of the personal
and military escort and the others
spectators, were killed. Many others
were injured. One royal groom, who
was leading horse drawing the
coach carrying the king and queen
was killed.
Several of those killed were stand
ing on the balcony of the house from
which the bomb was thrown.
The explosion occurred just as the
royal couple were about to enter the
palace. The procession had just pass
ed through Mayor street and was
about to turn into the Esplanade lead
ing to the palace, when an explosion
shook the buildings in the vicinity,
stunning a large number of people
and throwing the cortege into mex
tricable confusion.
The royal coach was brought to a
sudden stop by the shock, officers and
soldiers of the escort falling to the
ground about the equerry and horses
that had been killed. The screams of
the terrified multitude mingled with
the groans of the dying. 1t was i'm
mediately seen that the royal coach
was intact except as it had been dam
aged by flying splinters. King Alfonso
Immediately alighted and assisted
Queen Victoria out of the carriage.
They then entered another coach and
were driven swiftly to the palace.
All this happened SO quickly that
people away from the immediate vi
cinity were not aware of the tragedy
that had been enacted and continued
to acclaim their sovereigns. Soon,
however, there appeared the empty
royal coach with two horses missing
and the others spattered with blood,
several of them bleeding from wounds.
The grooms and drivers looked death
ly pale in their spangled uniforms.
Then came boy shouting that the
bomb had been thrown at the king.
The appearance of the king and queen
in coach brought out delirious ova-
tions as the fact was recognized that
the sovereigns had been spared. 3,
In the meantime the scene of the
tragedy presented horrible spectacle
with dead men and horses lying about,
literally torn to pieces. Intense ex-
element prevailed, the mob invad-
ing the streets while the forces of the
guards sought to maintain order and
block the approaching streets. The
bodies were wrapped up in blankets
and removed on litters, while the
wounded were carried to hospitals in
ambulances. The pavement was COW
cred with blood, and the upper stories
of the buildings nearest were spatter-
ed with it.
The place from which the bomb was
thrown is a boarding house. The
chamber from which the missile was
hurled was taken May % by a man
from Barcelona giving the name of
Moral. When the police surrounded
the house the man attempted to flee
but was captured. Another man es-
capped over the roofs of the houses.
According to an official statement it
is not known whether one or more
bombs were thrown.
Frederick w. Whitridge, the Amer
lea special envoy, went to the royal
na1ace u,hera he was asS11ra6 that
the king and queen were reasonably
tranquil considering the circumstan-
ces. Mr.. Whitridge also called at the
foreign Office and on behalf of the
United States expressed profound
sympathy with the Spanish sovereigns
and people.