The Weymouth, Portland and Dorchester Telegram. — 1878-05-17 (Weymouth, Dorset, England)

ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION OF THE EMPEROR OF GERMANY.  In Berlin on Saturday the Emperor William was returning from a drive with his daughter, the Grand Duchess of Baden. His carriage was passing along the avenue of Unter den Linden. and had reached the neighbourhood of the Russian Embassy, about half way between the Brandenburger Thor and the Royal Palace, when a young man, named Henrich MaxHodel, otherwise called Lehman, said to be a tinman from Leipsic, stepped out of the crowd and fired two shots from a revolver at the Emperor as he passed. The carriage was immediately stopped, and the Emperor's footman sprang from the box and rushed to the arrest of Hodel. Three more shots were fired by the assassin as the crowd closed around him, but, fortunately, like the others tock no effect. Hodel was at once arrested. Another man was also seized by the bystanders on the alleged charge of attempting to rescue the assassin. The Emperor was, happily, unhurt; he remained unmoved throughout the whole occurrence, though his daughter fainted -away. After the arrest of the assassin and of his supposed accomplice, His Majesty returned to the palace, which was speedily surrounded by a loyal and enthusiastic crowd assembled to rejoice at his fortunate escape. In the evening he appeared at the opera, where, as was natural, the audience received him with spontaneous and universal acclamation : the city was illuminated, and telegrams from all quarters soon came pouring in congratulating the Emperor at his providential escape. Hodel upon being examined denied having fired at the Emperor, and also asserted that he had only fired one shot. He affirmed that he was without work, and that it was his intention to shoot himself publicly in the Unter den Linden, for the purpose of showing the rich the present condition of the people and whither it led. He alleged that he fired one shot at himself, and could not account for the other three shots, which were wanting in the chambers of the revolver. He thought be might have discharged them in absence of mind. Repeated examinations of the would-be assassin seem te prove that he had no accornpli&s. The Christian Socialist Party deny having his name in their books as a member or applicant for work. The provincial press is filled with expressions of horror at the atrocious deed and of joy at the Emperor's deliverance from the assassin's hand. The latest news show that Hodel's endeavour to represent his deed as an abortive attempt at suicide is confuted by several witnesses deposing to his aiming at the Emperor's head. He stood behind a fruiterer's waggon six paces from the Emperor's carriage when firing the first shot. Another individual from L ipsic has been arrested on suspicion of abetting the deed. Preliminary examinations being secret under the German law, the above details are gathered from what is allowed to transpire. This is the third time that the Emperor's life has been attempted. In 1849, when on his way to take command of the troops opposed to the Baden rebels, his carriage was shot at from a vineyard near Mayence. The postilion was wounded, but the intending murderers were not discovered. The second attempt occurred at Baden-Baden on the 14th of July, 1861. On that occasion Oscar Becker, a German student, whose parents resided at Odessa, fired several shots at the Emperor in a public promenade, one of the bullets grazing His Majesty's neck. The deed, Becker stated, was done because his intended victim did nothing to promote German untiv. He was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment, but has since been set at liberty. All the endeavours to establish Hodel's insanity have failed, and as his crime is proved by numerous witnesses, his trial will he a mere formality. He is cool and even impudent in prison, and makes a very unfavourable impression. The attempted assassination of the Emperor of Germany occurred on precisely the date of the same month as the assassination of Mr. Perceval in the lobby of the House of Commons. It also occurred within a few yards of the place where young Blind attempted the life of Prince Bismarck. The effect of Saturday's incident is not likely to be lost upon the German Chancellor, for since the attempt on his own life he has been nervously concerned  about his personal safety, and no other Eulopean statesman has adopted the precautions will( h he bas done to protect himself. But the most nervous of ad illustrious personages is the Czar of Russia. Wherever he goes he is surrounded by a powerful body guard of secret police. When he visited London some }ears ago he never moved without his own secret police being wi hin easy reach of him, and when he drove about the Font t; he was alwani in one particular carriage, his own v...h el., brought froffi St. Petersburg, with very high sides and lined with sheet iron.