Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-06-09
MURDERED MONARCHS.
More Than Score of Names on the
Fatal List.

Twenty-one rulers of civilized coun-
tries murdered in just over a century!
No wonder timid man like the tsar
shuts himself up in fortified palaces
and every one is constantly quoting
Shakespeare's words: Uneasy lies the
head that wears a crown" And it has
remained for Portugal, which like her
neighbOr Spain, has been practically
free from royal assassinations-al-
though attempts have been made by
anarchists and political regcides-to
establish a sad record, for never with
in modern history, at any rate, have
a sovereign and crown prince been
murdered together, says a writer in
Tit Bits.
The assassination Of King AleXan-
der and Queen Draga of Servia in
June. 1903, is the nearest parallel to
the terrible deed which has recently
Mortified the world How the young
king disgusted his ministers and the
army. and rendered himself generally
unpopular by marrying Nine. Maschin
his mothers lady-in-waiting, is too
recent history to need more than a
passing mention here. 1t is interesting
To note, however, that most of the
army officers who carried out the plot
and actually murdered the king and
queen in the palace, are not only alive
but still hold prominent military ap-
pointments. Moreover they were paid
$4,000 for the deed.
Three years previous to the Servian
tragedy King Humbert Of Italy was
slain by the anarchist Bresci, while
| in 1898 the cruel and utterly purpose
less murder of the beautiful and gra-
cious empress of Austria took place
The empress was passing through Ge-
lneva on her return from Wiesbaden
where she had been for treatment fol
heart affection when she was stab
bed with a small file shaped stiletto
which pierced her heart King Hum
bert was shot while entering his car
riage, and it is an extraordinary fact
tIldI he Hdu lNlCe pieNlouSiS SSS"pSN
being murdered only by a hairs
breadth. In Naples in 1878 man
rushed up and tried to stab his majes-
" with a pOniard, but the king escap-
ed with a slight scratch while nine
teen years later. as King Humbert was
driving to the Capanelle race course
workman struck him with a dagger
Luckily the blow was averted.
Included in the twenty-one rulers
already mentioned are eight presi-
dents who have been assassnated, and
it is a singular fact that three of these
were presidents Of America, and they
have all been murdered within the
last forty-five years. First came
President Lincoln in 1865, Garfield in
1881. and Mckinley twenty years Ia
ter. The murder Of President Lincoln
came like Il thunderclap to the people
oe America just when they were re-
jOicing that the great Confederate war
had come to an end Lincoln went to
Ford'S theatre in Washington, and sat
NllH HIS ldIIlllN III al Dbh NllIliiS tiiS
performance of Our American COuS-
in," when j. Wilkes Booth, an actor,
who with others had prepared a plot
To aSsaSsnate the several heads Of the
government, entered the box and shot
the president through the brain.
He then stabbed Major Henry Rath-
bCne with knife, and crying out,
The south is avenged" rushed across
the stage through the back door and
escaped by riding off on Il horse which
was kept waiting for him. He was
captured twelve days afterward, how
ever. and forthwith shot.
President Garfield was shot by
0fficeSeeker. while Nc
Kinley. may be remembered, met his
death at the hands of CZolgosz, the
anarchist. at the Buffalo exposition.
-Four of RuSsia's tsars have been
the last being Alexander
IL. in 1881. Six times did assassins
attempt this monarch's life. on one