The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1912-11-01
ASSiSSINiTED RULERS
Every Country of the World Has Had
its Experiences

W
prominent in the political world have
been particularly exposed, and hardly
anv country can boast itself free from
that crime.
Abraham Lincoln, the first of the
three American presidents to be muir
dered was assassinated as he was cele-
brating the triumphant close of the
Civil war. On Good Friday, April IA,
1865, just as the north was rejoicing at
the end of the long struggle with the
south, he attended Ford's theater in
Washington to see performance OF
Our American Cousin" An actor, Jno.
Wilkes Booth, crept to the back Of his
box soon after the curtain had risen
and shot him from behind. Then, leap
ing on the stage, he brandished dag
ger, shouted "Sic semper tyrannis::'
and escaped through the stage door.
Lincoln was carried across til. street
to a, small house and died there at I
o'clock the next morning. At the sane
time an attempt was made to assassl-
nate Secretary Seward in his OWL
house
The next president to he slai;, was
James p. Garfield, on July 2, 1851, a
few months after his Inauguration.
Charles J. Guiteau, a disappointed Of
fee seeker, shot him down il the Bal
timore and Potomac railway station in
Washington. The avowed purpose of
the assassin was to secure the success
sion of Vice President Arthur, who, he
believed, would be more favorably
disposed to the "Stalwart'' wiHg of
the Republican party Garfield
fingered for more tnan two months.
He was taken from Washington to
Elberon,N.J., and died there on Sep
tember 10.
William Mckinley fell victim to-
the doctrines of anarchy. Like Lincoln,
he had been reelected and seemed to
be about to inaugura-e q new and IN
portant policy in regard to foreign
commercial relations. He went to
Buffalo to speak at the fa"-American
exposition, and there, as he was hold
ing a reception, he was shot down by
Czolgosz. The man approached him in
the line of citizens, holding revolver
concealed by a handkerchief. AS he
reached the president apparently in
tending to shake his hand, he fired
with fatal effect. Mckinley was carried
to a. nearby house, and lived for eight
days after his wound.
Foreign countries have had their full
share of such assassinations as these,
and in many cases death has overtai-
en- a ruler on state occasion, when he
was making a public progress to per-
form an important function.
So, on March, 81, 1881, the Car
Alexander II. of Russia, was blown TO
pieces by a bomb as he was on his way
to the winter palace. He had been dis
tinguished by his liberal views and MS
desire to ameliorate conditions in his
empire, but he was struck down
through conspiracy Of Nihilist. So
too, few years ago, plot in the army
caused an artillery salute in honor OF
the present czar to take the form OF
discharge of loaded pieces directly IN
the direction of the imperial household
President Carnot of France was the
only head of foreign republic beside
President Borda Idiarte of Uruguay TO
he assassinated of late years. He met
his death in Lyons at the hands OF az
italian anarchist, Caserio, who ktlleo
him on June "a, 1894. He had gone tc
! the exhibition of arts and science ana
had been enthusiastically greeted on
the way. Just as he stepped into MS
carriage on his departure from the
building, Caserio sprang up on the
step, waving paper as though it were
a. petition. The guards permitted MN
to approach the president, and ne
drew a dagger and stabbed him in the
body. The wound was mortal ana
Carnot died the next day.
One of the most terrible Of political
assassinations was that of King Alex
ander and Queen Draga of SerVla on
June II, 1903. That little kingdom hao
been torn with internal strife, ana
King Milan had been forced to aodl-
cate in favor of his son. Alexand r
believed in drastic measures, and IN
country seething with revolutionary
,s 7;boro1 feo1ino attemDted to make