Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-04-14
IN SPAIN
AT KINGS ESCAPE
Alfonso Cheered by People as
He Takes Morning Ride
in Park.
MERRY MOOD
ENLlVENS HIS HEARING
Even Magistrates Forced to Smile at
Jests of the Would-Be
Assassin.

MADRID, April liking Alfonso of
Spain took ride in the park this morn
ing, and was warmly saluted by the
crowds. who noisly expressed their joy
that the king had escaped the bullets
fired yesterday by an anarchist, Rafael
Allegro.
During his examination he forced the
guards surrounding him and the interro-
eating magistrates to laugh at his witty
comments.
Inquiries made by the police in BARGE
Iona show that Allegro was recently re-
jected from the Spanish military service
owing to his suffering from nervous at
tacks. He had been frequently without
employment. His wife. it was learned to-
day, is a woman of noble birth.
Alfonso's escape from death yesterday
was by the narrowest of margins and is
only one of several of his remarkably
close calls.
King Puts Spurs to Horse.
Accompanied by his staff the king was
riding along the Gale de Alcala. return
ing from the ceremony of swearing in re-
cruits, when man sprang from the side
walk and seized the bride of the king
horse with one hand, presenting a re-
volver point blank with the other.
The king. realizing the situation. with
lightning rapidity, dug his spurs into his
horse. which reared violently. His quick
of burying itself in the kings breast,
struck the horse on the neck, but so close
was it that the kings left-hand glove was
blackened by the powder discharge.
Before the assailant was able. to pull
the trigger again a secret service man
sprang upon him. The two men fell to
the ground locked in each others arms.
struggling furiously. The assassin man
aged to free his revolver arm and fired
two more shots at the king in rapid sue
cession, but the officer knocked his arm
aside, and the bullets flew harmlessly
through the air.
Fights Four Policemen.
At the sound of the first shot the kings
staff forced their horses on the sidewalk
and made ring around the assassin.
who fought fiercely in the grip of four
policemen before he was overpowered and
handcuffed.
King Alfonso, as soon as he saw that
the man had been secured, raised himself
in the stirrups, turned to the crowd, gave
a military salute and shouted in ring
ing voice: Long live Spain.
He then dismounted and treasured his
staff, saying: 1T is nothing. gentlemen"
Then up rose a mighty roar from the
wildly enthusiastic masses. which rolled
along in great waves of sound all the
way as the king rode to the palace, cool,
collected and smiling.
A spectator, pensionsd royal halberd-
Ter, pushed forward SO impetuously to
offer his congratulations to the monarch
that he was mistaken for another as
sassin and arrested. He was released
as soon as the mistake was discovered
A young Frenchman, who was standing
beside Allegro, was also arrested
The crowds made determined attempt
to lynch Allegro, who was rushed into
house and kept there until an auto
mobile ambulance, escorted by mounted
police transferred him to the police head
quarters.
King Describes Attack.
King Alfonso thus described the at
tempt against his life:
II had reached the corner of the Gale
de Alcala, opposite the house of the
Marquis de Cuba, when 1 saw a man
come out of the crowd with his hand in
side his coat He attempted to seize the
bride of my horse. and, while l failed to
follow exactly what happened, he fred
two revolver shots in my direction.
"At the second shot my horse reared
on his hind legs and. backing hastily, up
set my assailant. Immediately two of
my private policemen jumped on the man.
who yet managed to fire third shot.
wounding a policeman. I then dismount
ed and found that my horse was onIy
slightly hurt. l remounted and returned
to the palace"
King Alfonso was first to tell of what
he lightly called ''the Incident which
caused delay to Queen Victoria and the
Dowager Queen Maria Christina, who
were greatly alarmed. The king smiling
ly allayed their fears
He had hardly been back in the palace
ten minutes when an immense clamor
arose. The two squares on which the
palace looks were black with people of
all classes. DESTROYS Of showing their low
at the kings safety and their admiration
for his bravery. The king went to the
balcony and acknowledged the cheers.
and then sought the queen, and the two
stood bowling to the throngs for several
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