The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-07-03
BEARS CHARMED LIFE.


Alfonso of Spain. This latest effort to do away
with the king occurred week ago. at the open
ing of the new Spanish parliament. Fortunately,
the authorities were forewarned of the plot of
the anarchists and by change of plans at the ,
opening of the session the conspiracy was frus-
trated.
King Alfonso, although the 18th ruler of his |
dynasty, has borne charmed life since his &C
cession to the throne of Spain. At least dozen
attempts against his life have been made, and
as many more anarchistic plots have been nipped
in the bud by the vigilance of the secret police
One of the earliest attempts upon his life was
in Madrid in 1902 when an anarchistic plot with
ramifications extending throughout the city was
uncovered by the police. Dynamite cartridges,
which were to have been used in the attempt,
were seized.
On June l, 1905 an anarchist attempted to as
sassinate Alfonso while he visiting in Paris.
AS the king, accompanied by President Loubet,
drove away from a gala performance of the
opera an anarchist threw bomb in the direc-
ton of the royal carriage The projectile struck
soldier belonging to the curassier escort, on
the shoulder, and then fell to the ground and
exploded without injuring the king the presi-
dent, who continued their drive to the Palace
d'Orsay.
On May 9, 1906 the king and his sister, Infahta
Maria Theresa, were stoned they riding
in automobile from the railway station in
Madrid to the royal palace. The princess was
slightly injured.
Alfonsos narrowest escape came few weeks
later, the day of his marriage in Madrid to
Princess Ena of Battenberg. Shortly after the
royal bridal procession left the cathedral bomb
was thrown from the window of high build
royal coach itself had its course not been de-
Elected by an electric light wire. A score of per-
sons killed and twice that number injured.
But neither the king nor the queen received
scratch.
Many other attempts have been made on the
life of the king. In 1903 unatic fired shot
az him as he was returning from church with
his mother In January 1904, a bomb was found
under bench. outside the palace, and in Novem-
Der, 1905, cartridges were exploded in the church
of San Pedro Madrid while he was attending
the service there. In 1908 bomb was thrown
at him in Barcelona. In 1911 he narrowly escap-
ed death at Malaga, while he was en- route from
Madrid to Morocco, accompanied by Premier
Canalejas, who later met death at the hand of
an assassin. The royal party were met at the
railway station in Malaga by a great crowd,
which followed the carriage it driven to-
ward the palace of the governor. AS the king
entered the palace there was an explosion in the
crowd. The official investigation revealed the
fact that bomb, evidently intended for his ma
jesty, had exploded prematurely.
1t is recalled that on the occasion of his last
visit to England King Alfonso was heard to de-
clare that he had expectation of dying in his
bed, and that when the end came it would come
very suddenly. King Alfonso is fatilist, and
makes secret of the fact.
In a room at the royal palace in Madrid the
king keeps collection of criminal curios by
which his life has ben endangered. Amongst
them the knife with which a ruffian tried
to assassinate the young monarch when he was
a boy, the skin of the horse which was killed by
a bomb in Paris, some mementoes of the royal
wedding day outrage
The people of Spain are of the belief that their
king will never meet with violent death, for
they say he bears charmed life And the way
he escapes from all plots made against him GER
tainly seems marvellous.