Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1908-10-17
KINGS
MESSENGERS
IN once Of Rssronsltniy..."7 The
Knights Of The Stllf
Greyhound"


'neir countrymen kings messengers
are somewhat nebulou, oficiais, q
haziness possibly densifed. by the
comprehensiveness Of the word ines.
senger' and its varied conventional
significance, says The London
Globe" 1t may seem an obvious
truism, but not altogether needless,
that not every functionary who car.
ries royal messages Is a kings mes.
senger. The ONCE, indeed, Ia one Of
decided status as belts It's RESPONSE.
bility, and 1t Is with Infinite thank
fulness that we know 1t IL not open
to public competition. The "I,nights
Of the Silver Greyhound" as some
one has POLITICALLY styled them, are
limited In number-which has been
recently still more relrc ,d--are yen.
tlemen OF social position. often re.
tired service Officers, and are nom.
mated by the Foreign Secretary, sub.
ject to a qualifying examination. BY
the strict letter Of the regulations
they are supposed to wear a uniform
while on service-dark blue frock
coat, gold edged waistcoat buttoned
high, trousers with scarlet cord
down the seams. gilt buttons with
crown. garter, royal cypher and
greyhound pendant. peaked. black
braided cap with gilt crown in front
but the regulation is practically
dormant. What they do always bear.
however, Is a badge" OF silver gilt.
royal crown and silver greyhound
pendant. worn--or supposed to be
on q dark blue ribbon round the
neck. Practically the personalities
OF the kings messengers are per.
fectly familiar to all the officials on
the routes they travel. and only on
very exceptional occasions Is II nee.
essary to produce their badge. As
matter Of fact. moreover. the
identity OF the kings messenger Is
Enthusiastically assured by the service
bags OF stout canvas which accom-.
pany him, one Of which containing
smaller crossed" bags OF various
sizes. never leaves his personal Gus.
tody. and others. "uncrossed," are
allowed to 80 as ordinary baggage.
In ordinary times the Journeys Of
kings messengers are matters OF
rountine. and they can generally cal.
culate safely enough on the interven.
Ing periods OF leisure. though there
IL q tradition that once one luck.
less individual was dispatched In
such hot haste to q far distant CAPT.
tai that he had no time to change the
dress clothes In which he was at.
tired when the mandate arrived. And
In this connection another vener-
able story may be told-of the mes.
senser who. believing himself, 70 be
last on the list for the route" be.
took himself. IN blissful anticipation
OF few days rest. to foreign wa.
tering place. Scarcely had he ar.
rived when he received a Foreign
once telegram to this bewIldering
effect: "You are fast and dirty. Re.
turn at once" On his promptly pre-.
senting himself at headquarters he
discovered that the message sent
was: "You are first on duty"
or recent years the Kings mes.
senger has been largely In evidence
In fiction. and, not unnaturally. his
shrowdness. heroism and hairbreadth
adventures provide material for a
capital story. Sometimes, II Is true.
captious directors may insinuate that
the heroes bear much the same re.
lation to the real officials as poor
Ouida's famous guardsmenN have TO
actual officers OF the Household Cav.
alry--but the "story" Is none the
less interesting for that. The act.
ual annals OF the kings messenger
service, however. supply plenty OF
thrilling situations. Once when II
was important that a dispatch should
he In the hands OF our Foreign ONCE
before the information It contained
reached the representatives OF anoth.
err power. q queens messenger cross.
! ed the Channel In a small lugger on
night when the weather was 80
bad that the packet would not start.
Almost more sensational-and nearly
tragic--was the experience OF Cap
tain Robbins during the France. Ger.
man War Of 1870. He was instruct.
ed to deliver dispatches to the King
Of Prussia. whose headquarters were
then at Versailles. and was nearing
his destination when he fell into the
hands OF some franc.tireurs. who In.
sisted he was a German, and must
therefore be shot, II was in vain he
produced his badge and his passport:
he was spy, they declared. and
Germans, whether spies or not. met
with short shrift at the hands Of
franc.tireurs. The keeper OF the inn
where he was taken managed on
various pretexts to dissuade them
from immediate execution: they
grudg!ngly gave him TIL the follow.
ing morning. but. thinking better Of
their clemency, wanted to shoot him
before dawn. and the inn.keeper with
difficulty induced them to wait till II
was light. But before then Captain
Robbins had availed himself Of a con.
verient window and made his escape.
The aphorism Is true enough which
tells us that duty has its victims in
peace as In war, and those who can
speak with authority will cite many
o case among the kings messengers
Of worthful lives prematurely short.
ened by selhess. exacting devotion
to duty, though improved conditions
OF travelling happily enable one to