Evening star., 1936-07-18
THREAT TO KING
SHOCKS BRITISH
Attempt on Life Of British
Monarch Was First
Since 1899.
BY H. ]. ]. SARGENT.

LONDON. July l6.-(By Wireless)-
1t was Just about lunch time when
London suddenly began to realize that
an almost impossible thing had hap
pened-an attempt had been made
upon the life of the King.
The event was so utterly outside the
imagination of the British public that
people in the streets stared at news
paper posters with a definite feeling OF
incredulity, wondering whether some
joke in extremely bad taste was being
played on them. But when the evening
papers were snatched from the sellers
it was realized that in fact some man
had actually flourished a revolver at
King Edward as the latter was passing
at the head of his guards, returning
from Hyde Park where he had just
handed new colors to six battalions Of
foot guards.
1t is necessary to realize the close link
between the English people and their
King to understand the utter gro
tesqueness of the situation. That the
King should have his life endangered
at Hyde Park corner. of all places III
the world, is a situation which the
normal Englishman, standing up auto
matically when the national anthem
cheapest movie show, finds almost i'm
possible to take in.
Previous Attempt in 1899.
1t is nearly 40 years since an attempt
had been made on the life of member
of the British royal family. That was
in 1899, when the late King Edward,
Grandfather of the present King,
while passing through Brussels en-
route to st. Petersburg, was shot at bu.
missed by a crazy Italian lad named
Sipido.
Queen Victoria during her long
reign was an object of attack six timos,
but practically all were cases where
madmen either fired at or presented
weapons at her majesty. In one case,
that of a half-pay officer named Pate,
nearly 80 years ago, the Queen was
struck over the bonnet with stick.
Today's attempt, if it can be termed
such, passed off so quickly that the
crowd was taken completely unawares
and couldn't lay its hands Oh the as
sailant. Public opinion generally recog-
nizes the magnificent vigilance OF the
ordinary uniformed constables. The
| first man to seize the aSSailant was
apparently a mounted constable. who
threw himself off his horse into the
crowd and fell on the man, who
dropped his revolver.
Policeman Gather.
Several foot policemen gathered
around and the man actually was
| lifted over the heads of the crowd, who
wondered what had happened. and
passed back to police at the rear. They
conveyed him to the police depot,
which is situated within the cere-
monial arch spanning Constitutional
Hill at the top Of the road leading TO
buckingham Palace and skirting the
wall of the palace gardens
Meanwhile, all kinds Of stories are
being told about the incident, the most
picturesque being that the revolver
actually rolled in the pathway and hit
the hoof of the Kings horse. This
may actually have happened, but it Is
almost too colorful to be true.
All onlookers pay honest and un-
exaggerated tribute to the icy calm OF
the King, who apparently was among
| the first to notice the man. This Is
easy to understand since the King was
on horseback and could look over
the heads Of the crowd. The King
was seen to stare hard in the direc-
ton where the man eventually was ar
rested, but made no effort to check or
accelerate the pace of his charger.
The King apparently spoke word
or two to his equerry, Sir John Arid,
who was riding a half horses length
behind his majesty. While the King
continued to lead his troops back to
the palace, Sir John swung his horse,
spoke to a mounted constable who
picked up the revolver, and then re-
suned his place behind the King. He
was heard to say to Gen. Sergison
Brooke, who was commanding the
parade, cit was loaded. too"
King Edward went home to lunch,
changed his scarlet uniform to coun-
try clothes and left the palace in the
early afternoon in an unescorted auto
mobile for Fort Belvedere, where he is
spending his usual weekend.
(Copyright. 1850