The Northern Guardian. — 1898-06-16 (Hartlepool, Cleveland, England)

POLICEMAN HAS A NARROW ESCAPE.  HIS LIFE SAVED BY A NOTE BOOK.  The Press Association says an exciting scene vas wilnessed outside the German Embassy, !Carlton House Terrace, London, about five o'clock List night, when a man, who gives the name of John Todd. and his residence at Lambeth, is alleged to have fired two shots at Count Av..° Valley, First, Secretary to the Embassy, and immediately afterwards, it is stated, attempted t.,! murder a Constable of the A Division. The at:tinpt in each instanc,e happily proved unsucceeiful, and by a remarkable combination of fortunate circumstances, the effects of the c,utrage is each cavi proved to be very slight.  The circumstances littler which the incident occurred are as follows —About 5 o'clock Count Arco Valley, who himself resides at the Embassy. was preparing to go out to make a all, and a cab was in waiting outside the main entrance or the Embassy. The County had emerged front the building, and was just about to enter the cab when a revolver was fired. The charge grazed the Count, who ruched at his assailant. The man thereupon is said to have fired a second time at Count Arco Valley, hitting him on this occasion in the neighbourhood of the right hip. The attention of all the people in the vicinity was, of course, attracted by tfie firing of the shots, and the doorkeeper at the Embassy and a constable , on duty at the spot immediately rushed to the wounded exiiitlernaMs .asssistance. Fortunately. licwever, the count was able to return to tlyi Eniiiassy, and the attention of the policeman was thereby enabled to be directed solely to Ow owner of the revolver. He was seized first by the Embare.sy porter, and on the constable proceeding to his assistance the man is said to have fired at the latter point blank. The charge, again however, failed to reach a vital sTot, the bullet lodging in a note lio)k carried it' the left breast j‘thet of the constable's tunic. Fuither assisan(e qui..kly came to hand, and, after a little ftirther struggle, Todd was conveyed, without much diffieulty, to King Street Police Station. Meanwhile Count Arco Valley, who was himself anxious to jiroceed on his drive, had teen persteed to remain it' the Embassy in order !hat n7eclical men might be summoned tu ascertain the nattle of his injuries. Ha was able to walk upstairs to his bedroom, where he was subsequently seen by tar, doctors. It was happily found that the Count'a injuries were not of a serious char. atter, the fast bullet having simily grazed his back,. while the second is understood to have penetrated the flesh near the hip, and when the doctors left the Embassy after examining their patient a representative t.f the Preis Association was informed that not the slightest anxiety was felt as to the Ceunt's condition. He himself was etattil to be in the merriest of moods, being disposed to regard the attack as a most trivial occurrence. Among the officials of the Embassy also there was a similar disposition to belittle the occurrence.  In diplomatic circles genei al, however, the news of the incident caused great consternation, and immediately on the news becoming known the Embassy was besieged with callers. The Press Association was informed, upon inquiry at the German Embassy. this morning, that einint Arlo first secretary, wito was idiot yesterday, passed a n•ciod night, and is pr, gressjug favourably.