New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-09-22
A ROYAL REPR|EVE
King AIfonso's CIemency to His
WOuId-Be Assassin.

Copyright. 1913 by the Brentwood Company
King Alfonso has Just commuted to
Imprisonment the sentence OF death
passed some time ago on the anarchist
sancho Allegro. who several months ago
attempted TO assassinate him In Madrid
while on his way back TO the palace from
inspecting troups that had just returned
from the seat Of war in Morocco. 1t may
be remembered that Alfonso escaped
solely and entirely the regicides shot by
riding his horse direct at his assailant-
in one word, by riding him down instead
Of endeavoring 10 dodge him or 10 take
to flight The assassin's two shots went
wild, one grazing the horse and the other
the Kings shake. and before the would
be murderer could recover his footing
from beneath the horses feet he had
been seized by the officers OF the Kings
escort and by the police. After that the
King rode back to the palace. escorted
by an enthusiastic crowd. cheering and
applauding him.
Attacks of this kind upon the chief OF
the state are punishable in Spain, as in
other monarchcal countries, and even In
republics, such as the United States and
France, by death. and IT is but rarely
that the sentence is committed Don AL
fonso, although so young-he is only
twenty-seven years old-has been sub
jected TO numerous attempts upon his
life the two most serious having been
the one in Paris, when he was driving
back 10 the Quai d'Orsay with President
Loubet from the opera, and the other on
his wedding day, when the carriage In
which ne was returning to the palace
with the Queen after the ceremony was
shattered by a bomb numerous people
being killed and wounded his consort and
himself escaping from all harm by
miracle, although the hem of her bridal
robe was drenched with the blood OF the
dead and dying.
Alfonso has every reason, therefore, to
feel embittered against the anarchists.
and his reprieving Sancho Allegro must
be regarded as an act of generosity thor
oughly in keeping with his character and
relatively rare. He was anxious TO ex-
tend similar clemency toward the an
archst leader Ferrer. who. after being
concerned in the bomb outrage on the oc-
casion OF the royal marriage. and after
ward released at the instance OF the
young monarch. was some years later ar
rested as leader Of the anarchist rising 81
Barcelona which resulted I'm the destruc-
ton Of an immense amount OF life and
property the PROCLAMATION Of tombs and
the plundering of churches and converts.
Ferrer was tried and sentenced to death.
The King was determined to commute
the penalty. but his ministers would not
hear of IL. They declared that IN this
particular instance il was not his own
life that had been attempted. but that the
lives OF numerous OF his loyal subjects
had been lost in Barcelona, and that he
had no right TO interfere with the course
OF Justice. They not only declined 10 give
their approval 10 the pardon, which was
constitutionally necessary in order 20
render 1t valid. but they even placed their
in his hands and declared
that they would decline to remain in Of
flee II he persisted in sparing Ferrer. A
Cabinet crisis at that juncture would
have been disastrous, not alone TO the
dynasty but also TO the nation. and so
King Alfonso was forced. much 10 his
distress. to yield TO his ministers and 20
allow Ferrer 10 be put TO death