ATTEMPT ON THE LIFE OF THE KING OF SPAIN.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1878, 1 March 1880, Page 3

ATTEMPT ON THE LIFE OF THE KING OF SPAIN.

An attempt was made en the evening of December 30th to shoot the young King of Spain. The Madrid correspondent of the “ Standard” gives the following account of the occurrence:—“ His Majesty was driving back to the Palace shortly after five o’clock this afternoon in a phaeton, with the Queen by bis side. Behind them two footmen were sitting. In front of the King went a single outrider, and as the carriage entered the Erincipal gate of the Palace two shots were eard. The King with great coolness drove under the portico and stopped in the courtyard, where the porters and soldiers of the Guard rushed anxiously towards his Majesty. They found that both the King and Queen were unharmed, though her Majesty was much moved by this attempt on her husband’s life. The King, however, assured the Queen, and led her into the palace. The two bullets only grazed the face of one of the lacqueys, and lodged in the gateway of the palace. The assassin, who had been lying in wait about the door of the palace, had fired from the corner of a sentry-box. He attempted to run off, but was caught by the police and the bystanders. Ho did not offer much resistance, and the guards had to protect him from the violence of the crowd, which loudly exclaimed against him. The assassin is about nineteen years of age. He is almost beardless, is of middle height, aud of surly appearance, and was clad like a young artisan. He was employed in a confectioner’s shop, and declared to the Judge that he was from the province of Galicia, The news of the attempt on the King’s life spread rapidly, and the palace was soon visited by the Diplomatic Corps, the Ministers of the Crown, Generals and Nobles, to congratulate the King and Queen on his Majesty’s escape. A large crowd assembled before the palace, and much sympathy is expressed for their Majesties by all classes. The name of the assassin is Francisco Otero Gonzalez. The assassin is detained at the Home Office, where his confession before the Judge of Instruction has led to the arrest of three other persons, whom ho charges with having incited him to commit the crime. Their Majesties were not to have attended the Opera to-night, on account of the death of Senor Ayala, but they determined to go after the attempt on his Majesty. On entering the house they received the most enthusiastic welcome on record, the whole house rising, the ladies especially demonstrating their sympathy with th<* young Queen.