The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-02-26
KING OF PORTUGAL and crown Prince
KILLED BY Band OF ASSASSINS
Men Armed With Carbnes intercept Royal Carriage IN
Lisbon and Send Hail Of Bullets Against
the Monarch and His Family.
Queen AMELIE TRIES TO SHIELD THE CROWN Prince
Prince Manuel Nineteen Years DID,
King, Wounded.-Guards Kill Three Of Rescidcs

and revolvers were made in the Uni.
ted States.
King Carlos first understood the
| danger and arose. His stout figure
made an easy target for the assass.
ins, so many bullets struck him and
he fell heavily to the carriage floor.
The Queen sprang to her feet.
threw an arm around the Crown
Prince and beat at their assailants
with boquet. which young woman
had presented to her only few min.
utas before. The dying Prince Luiz
fell in his mothers lap and his weight
bore her down.
| The Kings escort and the police,
who lined the route to the palace.
we're taken by surprise. They rushed
forward only when they saw the
Queen arise and try to shield her hus-
band. But the police rallied quickly
and, led by one officer who killed the
murderer who seemed to be in COM
mand, they fought the assassins,
killed two more and wounded two or
three others.
The royal coachman kept his wits
and, carrying a dead King and a
wounded Crown Prince, drove quick
ly through the splendid gates of the
Marine Arsenal near by.
The Queen, suffering from fright
full conflict of emotions, walked me-
chanically behind her husbands body
into the Arsenal, and held the Crown
Prince in her arms until quickly he
died in intense agony. Then she was
persuaded to enter closed carriage
with the wounded Prince Manuel and
| was driven to the palace.
One Of the regicides who was killed
has been identified as Manuel Bulca,
sergeant in the Seventh Cavalry and
teacher in an elementary school.
For eight years he was private tutor
| in this city. He was about thirty
years old.
The other two dead regicides were
store clerks, one being named Alfredo
! Costa.
The Republicans VOW they are not
responsible for the assassinations,
which they lay to anarchists, but Off
cials eagerly assert that the indentifi-
| cation of an assassin as cavalry OFF,
Ger is proof that the murders were
done by the revolutionaries, who had
smuggled in arms and bombs, and
who, headed by prominent Republi-
cans, plotted to proclaim a republic
a fortnight ago.
The new Kings surgeons say his
condition is satisfactory. His wound
in the right arm, received when his
father and brother were killed, is not
as severe as was feared. Indeed, it
did not prevent him from whipping
out a revolver and firing at the as
sassins.
He carries his right arm in a sling,
but says he has no pain. If no COM
plications follow, which Is unlikely,
he will soon be we'll.
The bodies of King Carlos and
| Prince Luiz were embalmed and will
lie in state, according to the custom
Of the court. ... ..~
History Of Portugal's Troubles.
Murdered in the streets Of the
capital in broad daylight, King Carlos
and the Crown Prince were the vic
tins of the turbulent politics of Por-
tugal. Almost by chance the ruling
! dynasty escaped extinction, for the
Queen and the young Prince Manuel,
who succeeds to the throne, were In
the path of the assassins' bullets. IT
revolution was planned it has failed
because the loyalty Of the troops had
been assured in advance by the King S
concessions to the army.
King Carlos had many personal
attractions. He was we'll educated,
poet, a musician, g fine sportsman
and a man of proved courage. But
he was an Indifferent ruler and a
Door politician. He was grossly ex-
| travagant, his court was frivolous
and the Government corrupt, while
the people were poor and restless.
The ferment Of republicanism had
long been at work in the universities
and among the masses when crisis
was ~precipitated last spring by the
Cortes refusing to pass the appropria-
tions. Factions which could not
agree upon any definite policy had
united in turning out one Ministry
after another.
Early in May the King dismissed
/ the Cortes, suspended the Constltu-
ton and proclaimed Premier Franco
dictator. From that time republicans
and monarchists made common cause
in demanding the restoration of con-
stitutional government. Late in June
tho mob threw up barricans in the
streets in Lisbon and fought the
troops for hours. Scores of men and
women fell before the soldiers vol
leys. The Government won bloody
victory, but the spirit Of revolt was
not quelled. Plots against the lives
of the dictator and the King were be-
ing constantly uncovered. Many Of
the republican leaders were sum-
marily thrown into Jail. DEGREES were
issued expelling from the country all
suspected persons.
No government could live in such
conditions except by force, and Vio-
lence invites violence. King Carlos
yielded to the temptation Of trying
to conquer his subjects instead Of
conciliating them. He has paid for
his mistake with his life.