The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1908-04-03
LONG LIST OF ROYAL MURDERS
MANY EUROPEAN RULERS
VICTIMS OF ASSASSINS..
Sta Had Her Share Tragedies oden Daysone Empress
and one Queen in the Lst-Some Attempts to Kill That
Faled-Russas Reign Of Terror


The assassination of the King and
Crown Prince of Portugal recalls the
long list of monarchs who have been
Killed by rebellious subjects with
real or fancied grievances against
the State of by conspirators against
the throne or by maniacs. Since
the very earliest days of history the
heads that wore the crowns have had
good cause to rest uneasy. Often the
next heirs or close relatives of the
monarchs have been the instigators
OF their murder. In the case of Ed
ward IL, King of England in 1877, it
was his wife, Queen Isabella. daugh-
ter OF Philip ". OF France, who sug-
gested that he should be done to
death and she looked on calmly while
the murderers Killed the King by
thrusting a red hot poker into his
abdomen.
The assassination of James I. OF
Scotland in 1897 was like that of
Dom Carlos in that his wife, Queen
Joan, tried TO shield him with her
body as did Queen Amalia, but in the
case Of James also the heroic effort
of his wife was unavailing, as he
fell pierced by the swords of the
murderers.
In this age of reason there are
many doubts cast upon the reputed
murder of Edward ", who, with his
brother, the Duke of York, is sup
nOSed I'm i1nvo haao cn,ofb nro6 ~, an -
Tower. Bayley in his history of the
Tower of London quite discredits the
story, and it may be that Richard
I'LL, the wicked uncle of tale and pic
ture, did not really have this deed
upon his already overloaded con-
science after all.
James III. of Scotland, who VIZ
stabbed at Kylesithe in 1883, appears
to have rather deserved the fate some
of his long enduring people meted
out to him, for he caused great suf-
fering among them and was absolute
ly regardless of right or justice. But
the assassination of William of Or
ange at Delft in 1884 was quite with
out adequate reason The murderer
was not Dutch but Burgundian. and
was in the bodyguard of the Prince.
His only excuse for the deed was that
he was convinced that $50 long as
the Prince lived he seemed likely to
remain rebel against the Catholic
King and to make every effort to
disturb the rights of the Roman
Catholic Apostolic religion" so he
fired three shots at his royal master,
who fell exclaiming ''Oh. God, have
mercy on my soul, Oh, God, have
mercy on my people!" The murder
er was submitted to horrible tortures
and finally put to death.
Henry III. of France, the last of
the Valois line, was killed by Do
minican monk in 1899. AS he was
undoubtedly cruel King and the in
stigator of three murders among his
unfortunate relatives, the mobiles, who
were certainly relieved by his sud-
den exit, ought to have rewarded the
monk for his service, but instead
they most ungratefully put him to
death at once.
Henry w. of France was killed by
Ravaillac in 1910. This King seems
f. to have been as kindly as he was
wise, and Ravaillac's only reason for
the crime was that he killed the
King because he feared that he was
going to war against the Pope.
Gustave III. of Sweden who was
stabbed to death in 1892, was the
victim of conspiracy. The mobiles
were discontented with their mon
arch and resolved to put him out of