KING SHOT AT.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1724, 15 April 1913, Page 5

KING SHOT AT.

ALFONSO XIII IN PERIL.

SAVES HIS LIFE BY HIS

COOLNESS.

SENSATION IN MADRID.

By Telograph—Press Association—Copyright Madrid, April 13. King Alfonso, while returning from a review, was fired at three times when passing tho Bank of Spain. One of the shots struck' King Alfonso's horse in the chest. \ '< The escort quickly formed a circle around tho King, who was not hurt. The assailant, a man named Rafael Allegre,- aged 25. years!, was arrested. .He is a' native of , Catalonia. . : • His Majesty had just presented colours to recruits, and was returning at a walking pace, when Alegre, quitting tho front of a crowd, darted forward and seized, the icing's horse's bridle, at tho same time flourishing-a Browning pistol. King Alfonso, with his usual admirable coolness, realising the position, with a sudden pull of the bridle, raised 'the horse just at . the moment , Alegre fired. Thanks, to the King's wonderful horsemanship only the horse's chest was hit. A policeman threw and seized Alegre, and thus'deflected two other shots. A dozen persons wero injured in the ensuing stampede. King Alfonso was afterwards given an enthusiastic popular oyation-. (Rec. 'April 14, 10.5 p.m.) ' ; , . Madrid, April 14. ■>- ! There had been persistent rumours for days past, that an attempt on King Alfonso's life had been planned for Sunday, but these wero officially discredited and attributed to a: desire to deprivo tho ceremony: of tho taking of the Oath by the recruits of its customary splendour and brilliance. . ' The Queen witnessed the , ceremony and followed the King on the return to the palaco in an open carriage. The Queen heard the shots and guessed what was happening. She was terrified until tho King's aide-de-camp arrived and reassured her.' ' Allegre received a gash on the forehead and nose from a policeman's sabre! There was a terrific struggle before tho assassin was mastered. The crowd carried the .policeman who seized Allegro shoulder high. The police had difficulty in protecting Allegre from the crowd's fury. King Alfonso, on "seeing his assailant overpowered, rose in his stirrups and saluted the , crowd in military fashion, and loudly shouted: "Viva Espana!" The cry met with an 'enthusiastic response. The King then dismounted, smiling, and not betraying tho least emotion. In replying to the eager question of his entourage he exclaimed: "Gentlemen, it is nothing." His' Majesty, then vaulted lightly on to' his horse and. proceeded to the palace. On- the King's arrival-at. the palace there was a .renewed outburst of cheering. On rea'ching the Palace his Majesty' related the incident in jovial terms to the Queen and to -his mother, Queen, Christina. y- •' V Ten minutes later the great Plaza Year-mas was crowded classes, and the-King -received an indescribable ovation when he'appeared on the baloony of the Palace. The cheering was renewed when ho brought the Queen on the bal-. i oony, and continued long after their Majesties had retired. Allegre is a. native of Barcelona. He was. expelled from France six years ago as an Anarchist, and obtained work in Madrid as a carpenter. Ho wished to avange the death of Senor Ferrer, executed in connection with the revolutionary disturbances in Barcelona some years ago. Documents found at Allegro's domicile showed that tho outrage was the result of an organised plot. Numerous arrests have been made. .Allegre informed the magistrate that'on seeing the King ho was seized with tin irresistible impulse to use his revolver. An. unarmed French professor standing, by, a Spaniard, and Allegro's mistress have • also been arrested. The professor protests his innocence. A POPULAR RULER, HOW ALFONSO WON HIS PEOPLE OVER. : King Alfonso of Spain,' whoso ready pluck and resource have been more than once admired, had a narrow escape from, assassination-on his wedding'.day in Madrid seven' years ago. On his return journey from the Catiiedral to the royal palace, .as he was taking homo his bride, a' bomb, concealed in a bouquet, was thrown at the royal carriage. -'.-It missed its mark, but killed twenty-three spectators and injured ninety. .. The King and Queen were not injured Hsy the outrage, and on tho following day drovo biavely through tho city in a motor-car, without any escort, amid deafening acclamations from their subjects. 1 ■ , When the dastardly attempt was made on • tho lifo of Alfonso and hi 9 queen, tho people began : to worship their r,uler. They saw in him an ideal, a true' descendant of. the great Bourbons, and the youthful monarch was placed on the "highest pinnaole.of popularity. That was 6even years ago. Extravagance in the royal household, unwise political favouritism, and decidedly English tendencies, slowly lowered tho young King from popular favour, while family troubles, and a wholesale houso-deafting of the grandees, instigated by tho Queen, added to tho precariousness. of his position. Carlists and tepublicana in the, north plotted and re-plotted, but tho firm hand of an able Premier always saved the day. : . Queen Victoria, un-Spanish, unanited by national temperament to reign over a southern people, but with tho keen intuition of an Englishwoman; foresaw, tho imminent danger unless a radically different method of procedure was adopted. With the indomitable spirit which has always characterised her ancestry, she took matters into her own hands. Many and long were the conferences with her husband, and while tho; world does not know what took place at La Granja, and Snntnndcr, the world does know that Alfonso XIII soon became a different man. Since that time this untried young mail has developed into ono of the most capable rulers of Europe. Ministries enmo and fell, but each situation was handled in a cool and collected . manner, which commanded tho respect of even his enemies, and the people of tho nation. In 1909, the open soro of Spain, tho. Moroccan situation, again broke out. Troops wero hurried into the Riff territory and a'sanguinary war began. Barcelona, tho hotbed of republicanism, Garlism and anarchism, and kindred creeds that oppose any form of government, arose as a protest against tho Moroccan policy, and tried to administer an anti-royal and anti-clerical blow. .Then it was that Alfonso proved himself to bo more than a puppet king. The' revolt was speedily terminated by an iron hand. Tho King declared his intention of going into Morocco, and it was only with the greatest difficulty that tho Cabinet dissuaded him. The-Spanish public, which-admires bravery more than any other virtue, enthused with tho bold declarations of their young King; the press lauded his spirit, and Alfonso returned with a rush into popular favour. In the palace in Madrid, amid the pressure of other activities, daily' ho wrote and mailed dozens of picture post-cards to the officers in Morocco. Aside from departmental correspondence, tho generals received encoumging letters, commending their services, and expressing regret at his inability to be with them. If a coinmob soldier accomplished a deed of

valour lie received a letter of thanks from his King. . With post-cards and letters, Alfonso won that war, but, moro than a dozen Riflinn battles, he won the hearts of' officers and mon. That was- his victory. The King and his Ministers fully realise there isono manner in which tho monarchy may bo terminated, and terminated quickly. That is by assassination. The Spanish people will not tolerate another regency, and'' it is an accepted fact, that, at the death of the present King, if prior to the attainment of his majority by tho Prince of the Asturins, the country will become a republic. Spain has always suffered under the rulo of a regent, and will tolerate it no more, particularly when that regent would bo a foreigner, and especially English. Every precaution is being taken to safeguard tho King's life, and it is a fact' that no monarch in Europe, with the exception of the Czar of Russia, is more closely watched. Princo George of Battenberg, now in Wellington as a sub-lieutenant on H.H.S. New Zealand, is a first cousin of the Queen of Spain. Prince George's sister, Princess Alice, is tho wife of Prince 'Andre of Greece, whose father, the late King of Greece, was assassinated at Salonika in the middle'of last month. '