The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-03-14
Major Langa, Head of the Kings
Cavalry Escort, is Wounded,
But Not Fatally
Kings ASA lsnt is Arrested and
Brought to Police S.aiion
After Severe Handling
Pope Plus Exclairns, Il Thank
God Most Fervently For Hav-
ing Saved The Kings Life
Especial from United Press. J

evening, singing the praises of the
beautiful Queen Elena, who, today
demonstrated her willingness to sacri>
fee her own life to save that of her
soldier spouse, King Victor Enaman.
uel. After an anarchist assassin, An
tonic D'Alba, had made an unsuc.
cessful attempt on the life of the
Monarch, it was learned that the
Queen had deliberately interposed ber
own frail person between the King
and would-be murderer.
The Queen was seated beside the
King and on the side of the carri-
age from which the assassin made his
attempt. She was the first to see
the frowning pistol barrell levelied
toward the carriage and with the first
shot threw her arms about her hus-
band and shielded his body with hers
His Majesty quietly forced her back
into her seat and leaned forward bu,
by this time all danger had passed
and D'Alba had been overpowered
and disarmed.
There was brief exchange of re-
assuring words and then the King
ordered the procession to proceed. The
news of the Queens herOism and self
sacrifice quickly spread, and, tonight
the delighted multitude is paradine
the streets singing her praises and
she has been elevated to a place in
the esteem of the nation second only
to that held by the beloved Queen
Mother
The condition of Major Langa was
reported at the hospital, tonight as
much improved. He was in comma nc
of the Kings escort and the first
reports said that he was seriously
wounded. At the hospital it devel-
oped that his injuries were due te
the fall from his horse when he was
stunned by the assassin's bullet strik-
ing the steel plate of his helmet. The
bullet, however, did not penetrate
his head.
The assailant fired three shots from
a pistol at His Majesty but the bull
lets went wild, one Wounding the
major commanding the cavalry es.
sort. There was wild excitement for
some time but the assailant was
quickly overpowered and arrested.
The attempt on the life of the
and that His Majesty did not lose his
life is believed to be due to the fact
that the Queen, who accompanied
him, was indisposed and had asked
that the trip be made in a closed
carriage.
AS the royal procession approached
almost surrounded by the picEed cav.
airy escort, resplendent in their dress
uniforms D'Alba suddenly pressed
through the crowd. Abruptly showing
a royal guardsman standing on the
curb to one side he raised his pistol
Three shots came in rapid success, all
going wild, and the second striking
Major Langa who reeled in his saddle
and then fell headlong to the pave
ment
The cavalry escort then closed
quickly about the carriage. hiding it
from view. simultaneously. came
the command from His Majesty and
the procession passed on to it's destin.
alton.
1t took the best efforts of the po.
lice and soldiers to prevent the en-.
ragged crowd from executing sum-
mary punishment on the would be
assassin
The King had just left the palace
to attend the memorial service in
honor of the birthday of his father
King Hubert. who was the victim OF
the assassin Goetana Bresci, who kill
ed him on July 49, 1900, as the result
of plot Matched in the United States
The police, believing the attemtp
on the Monarch's life was part of an
organized, anarchistic plot, started
1t was feared that he might have
been the instrument of a Scilian an
archistic organization against which
the government recently adopted
stern measures.
The attempt on the Kings life took
place a short distance from the Pan
theon where the memorial mass was
being sung. AS soon as he had sat.
isfied himself that Major Langa was
being properly cared for, and the as
sailant was in custody, the King or
dered his carriage to proceed to the
Pantheon and sat through the me-
mortal mass apparently cool and un-
concerned.
Police and soldiers lined the entire
hoIneward route and held the people
back at the sides of the road although
no attempt was made to restrain the
cheering and at no time since his ac-
cesslon to the throne has the King
received such an ovation as that of
today.
Following his visit TO his wounded
aide, the King returned to the quir-
inal to reassure his family which had
been greatly worried over the re-
ported attempted killing. Then he
visited his mother. the Dowager
Queen Margaret. widow of his mur>
dered father, who was rendered al
most frantic with terror when she re.
ceived word that an attempt had been
made on her sons life. The meeting
between the couple was touching in
the extreme, the Queen Mother en-
bracing the King and becoming al
most hysterical.
When word of the attempted mur.
der reached the Vatican the Pope was
Mortified and Immediately sent an
aide to get the latest news. When
assured that the King was unharmed,
His Holiness calculated:
II thank God most fervently for
having saved the Kings life"
After subjecting D'Alba to a search
ing third degree the police said tina,
he was a stone mason, slightly more
than Il years old. and. although
known to have held anarchistic views,
was never looked on as dangerous.
Whether they discovered any accom-.
plices was not revealed.
When D Alba was brought to the
police station his face and body was
a mass of wounds. He was recogniz-
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