The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1882-03-04 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

ATTEMPT TO -ASSASSINATE  THE QUEEN.  NARROW ESCAPE OF HER MAJESTY.  ARREST OF THE CULPRIT.  A most cowardly and atrocious attempt to as_ sassinate her Majesty was made upon her arrival at Windsor from Lan lon on Thursday evening. The Royal train, conveying the Queen and Princess Beatrice, General air if. Ponsonby, Viscount Bridport, Col. Sir J. C. McNeill, and the ladies in waiting, arrived stuely at the Windsor terminus at 5,25, a number of the residents having assembled on the platform to welcome them upon their return to the Castle. Her Majesty and the Princess Beatrice had a most en husiastio reception, and were loudly cheered as their carriage, drawn by a pair of grey ponies, left the waiting room. Just as the Royal cart iage was about to pass through the gates of the st:Etion yard, on its way to the Palace, a man, poorly dressed, who was standing in the road, pointed a revolver at the Queen and Princess Beatrice, and deliberately fired at the occupants. just as the cheers were subs-ding. the report being distinctly heard throughout the terminus Cnief-superietendent Hayes, of the borough police, Inspector :eraser, Sergeant Jackson, and Polic constable Alexander were close it hand, and the would be assassin was arrested in a mom, at, before be could fire again. The dastaidly aatuee of the attempt naturally created the WO6 intense indignation among the spectators, and there was a general rush towards he man. Colonel Sir J. C. McNdll, General Sir 1.1 Ponsonby, and Viscount Btidport, who at the titu,., were waiting to cuter their earn ge, ran to the vicinity of the QuPen s equipage, when it was asurtained that her Majesty had received no injury, the shot from the assassin's revolver having missed its aim, as ,he 'vehicle was driven rapidly out of the yard. Her Majesty and , the Princess continued their progress to the Palace, followed by the ;adies of the suite in the , remainder of the carriages ; and while the Royal party were on t‘-eir way thither the would-be murderer was conveyed to a fly, which was ohtined in Thames Street, but not without some difficul,y, owing to the crowd, who manifested the greatest indignation at the crime. One in Ti:atnes Street, the assassin was driven rapidly through High Street and theet .Street, in the custody of the police-officers, to the borough pol;ce-station, where, in the presence 02 Mr. H. L. Simps.m, one of the justices, ho a as at once charged by Me, Stipetintendent Hayes with situating at her Majesty the Queen witn intent to do her grievous bidily harm. The prisoner, who is twenty-seven. years of age, and gave the name of lahert Maelean, is of medium heiaht and slim buil. He is poorly clad, and staaes that. he is a clerk. He avers that he w, uld tr.t have cone ,he act had he not been suffer:ng from hunger, and says that he walked from Portsmouth to Windsor, where he has been , staying for a week While Chief-superintendent Hayes was near the wicket gate of the station yard, hesaw the prisoner who was standing midway between the entrance of the waiting room, suddenly raise his right hand, take careful aim at the Queen's carriage, and fire deliberately at those in the equipage—the Queen, Princess Beatrice, and lady-in-waiting. Dashing upon Maclean Supeiiivetident _dives seized him by toe neck, this act causing the would-be assassin to drop his revolver in the roadway, whence it was picked up by a young mEn named Heavysides, a p'Eotographer, Inspector Fraser, of the Royal Household police, who is always in attendance upon her Majesty, running up a . the same moment and assisting in the capture of the prisoner. It is needless to state that this cruel attempt to destroy the life of a much beloved Sovereign, which, like other., has providentially failed at the supreme moment of its well-planned execution, has excited most profound feelings of iletestation and abhorrence of the act in the minds of the loyal and peacefal residents of the Ro al borough, as, indeed, it will threughout the British empire. The prisoner when arrested was follow, d by crowds of people to the station, and throughout the evening groups of residents collected in tbe streets commenting upon the attempted assaasination.