New-York tribune., 1908-02-16
CARRIAGE STEPS DANGEROUS.

Il is possible tlat both King, Carlos and the
Crown Prince might have escaped with tteir
lives the other dag al Lisbon had the carriage
in which >thoy were riding been constructed
after The model of the eCiipaaas used by tire
present King and Queen oc Englarl and by the
late Queen Victoria. II is related that he regi-
eide who accomplished tae most deadly work
sprang t. he step Of tie carriage. from which
be repea tedly shot. while Queen AnzIie in vain
endcavored TO dielodge hi-H by striking him in
the face with bouquet which she held iii her
hand.
Caserio. when he murdered President Carnot.
Lyons. vita 2 knife thrust. rvas able % ac-
ronplish his object by jumping on the steps oe
lhe Presidential eqJiyage l. The first two at
jer1,pts 70 asssssinate King Fumbe-t tie cr.-n-
inaI in each lnstance jumped on the steps oe the
sovereign's baroucEe. and when ex-I:eutenart
Bean. OF TIE feth English Huszar Regiment.
struck the lste Queen Victoria across the face
with Il rattan cane "A blow 50 severe that she
retained the until the day Of her death
ne Jumped on the carriage steps. This resulted
in the adoption OF an entirely different style OF
carriage By the Queen. The would-be assassin
OF the late Shah of Persia made use Of the same
means 70 reach the ruler the Persian mon
arch's first visit TO Pariss
co.lld state in-umer2ble ether cases in mod
ern and ancient times. comprising the murder
Of Henry ~ of France and the attempted as
sassInation Of Louis XV, T the same country. to
show that whenever any artemp: has been made
OF the life OF the sovereign when out driving
the carriage step has almost invariably played
an i,n0crtant role by enabling the assailant 10
get within striking distance. That is why the
carriages used by King Edward and Queen
Alc-andra are not only very high from the
ground hut have no stop visible for entering or
leaving the conveyance. There are steps but
they are folded up inside the carriage doors and
let down only when needed.
Ii is said that King Carlos and his two sons
were armed. and tina, the Crown Prince killed
one OF his assailants and wounded another be-
fore being laid lew himself Rulers habituaIIv
20 armed though the Portuguese Grown Prince
is the first scion of royalty TO have turned his
revolver to good account. True. there are stories
OF Alexander III and OF the present Sultan OF
Turkey having shot retainers. mistaking them
for would-be assasSins, but these rumors have
never been authenticated. King Edward IL is
well known carries A pistol That he used TO
go armed when still Prince of Wales was shown
on one occasion when he was riding in HYDE
Park A horse which had bolted and run into
the raiIings had sustained such severe injuries
as to make recovery impossible AS IL was suf-
fering riders who had assembled on the spot
decided that it should be put out OF misery and
called on a policeman TO shoot the animal
The policeman declined on the ground that he
was unarrned and added that he had no author
ity 10 kill the horse. even II pistol were 10 be
furnished The Prince OF Wales. who was look
ing on. thereupon took a small revolver from
his pocket and shot the horse. revealing the fact
that he was the only present who carried
a pistol.