Year: 1878

aSS' Ataehpe 70 Assassluato


A correspondent, who was an
eyewitness of the affair, thus writes
from Berlin:


Two o'clock on Sunday after.
noon, Unter den Linden. 1t is a
cool, pleasant June day. The
crowd streams idly along this broad
street. The cafes are filled. The
stately officers of the Royal Guard
are out in all the elegance of full.
dress uniform. Richly-dressed wo.
men sweep the pavement with their
long, slim trains. Here and there
a trio OF students swagger through
the crowd, with bright-colored caps
and Scared faces. Ceaseless is the
flow of droschkies, carrying the
easy-going Berliners, with wives
and children, toward the green al
leys of the Thiergarten.


The Kaiser's carriage rolls out
from the doorway of his palace at
the other end of the Linden. He
is going, as a good Berliner, to take
his daily drive in the Thiergarten.
The equipage is a simple Victoria,
low and open, drawn by two small,
quick trotting black horses. There
is nothing to distinguish it from
other carriages except the waving
plume of the jaeger who sits upon
the box. The Kaiser sits erect
upon the back seat as the carriage,
with its rubber-covered wheels, rolls
swiftly and noiselessly down the
street. He bears his four-score
years nobly, and his greeting is
sincere and kind as he answers the
respectful salutations which every
one delights to give him. Ibelieve
there are plenty of people who walk
on the south side of Inter den
Linden at this hour for no other
purpose than the simple pleasure Of
taking off their hats to the brave
old emperor, / will confess to hay.
ing done so myself.


The carriage is passing No. 1S
in the most crowded and fashion
able part Of the street. Suddenly
from an open widow in the second
story, two gun-shots flash like light
ming out Of a clear sky. The kaiser
sinks back on the seat. Blood
tickles down his face. The car.
riage stops. The jagar springs
from his seat and holds his wound
ed master in his arms, while the
carriage slowly turns and drives
down the other side of the street
toward the palace. l stand within
fifteen feet Of the equipage as ii
passes. | see the stately figure ly-
ing there helpless; the red stream
trickling slowly over the bronzed
face, now so pallid; the pain, the
anguish, the unutterable detection
in those manly features. | realize,
as if in an evil dream, that for the
second time within barely three
weeks the Emperor of Germany
has been shot at like a dog in the
streets of his own capital.


The people are wild with excite
ment and rage. A crowd has
gathered itself in an instant about
the house. The street is filled with
haste and confusion. Men rush
up to the room of the assassin and
break down the door. He meets
the first who enters with revolver
shot and then shoots himself, but
not fatally. He is captured and
bound. The people below are
frantic. They threaten to tear
him to pieces. The big prison van
comes up to take him away, but il
is too high to pass under the door
way of the house, and as the driver,
in his hurry, attempts to get
through, he is crushed to death
upon his box, At last the prisoner
is taken away under a strong
guard of mounted police. The
crowd become quieter but larger
every moment, and joyful cheers
greet the news which is brought
from the palace that the kaiser is
in no immediate danger, although
he las been struck by a number OF
shot in the cheek, neck and shoul-
der, and has suffered considerable
loss Of blood.


Certainly the physical pain is the
least that he has to bear. What
must be the bitterness of this houi
to a manly heart like his ! To fee
that in every moment he stands
before a hidden danger which lurk,
behind trees and walls and hurls
death at him from secret places
must be terrible to the brayest man
And yet | saw no fear, but only ,
deep sorrow written on his face
For he has that clear bravery which
can face even an unseen peril anC
surely, if through the dastardly
hand of an assassin, death should