The Prince of Wales Fired at.

Manawatu Herald, 7 April 1900, Page 2

The Prince of Wales Fired at.

♦ A youth named Sipido fired two shots from a revolver at the Prince of Wales on the Northern Railway Station at Brussels, but without doing any injury to his Highness. When arrested Sipido's pockets werfifc, found to be stufted with Anarchistliterature. The Prince and Princess of Wales were journeying to Copenhagen to attend the festivities in connection wKh the seventy-second birthday of King Christian IX (the father of the Princess) and also to spend Easter at the Danish capital. They left Charing Cross railway station in the morning and travelled via Calais to the Belgian city. When leaving the northern for the southern station at Brussels at 5.30 p.m., the driver of the train heard shots, and stopped the cars. ' ■. Sipido was then standing on the footboard, with a revolver _ thrust through an open window of the royal saloon carrioge, intending to fire a third shot. The stationmaster and others who were in the vicinity at once arrested the would-be assassin, who was vociferating that he intended to kill "theauthor of the slaying of thousands in South Africa, and Chamberlain's ac- , cmplice." ' ! 'I The Prince was very self-possessed i;; during the incident. He alighted from the train and asked the officials if Sipido's weapon was loaded, and upon receiving a reply in the affirmative smilingly said he hoped the youth would be leniently dealt with. '" The Prince and Princess decided to nroceed on their journey. Before doing so, however, his Highness tele graphed to the Queen and to the Duchess of York. He also reassured . x the Princess, who quickly recovered from her alarm. The royal couple received ..an ova? tion from the crowd who had gathered around. Both bowed their acknowledgments from the windows ot the carriage. When the train arrived at Cologne the Prince received warm congratulatory messages from the Queen, Leo. pold 11., King of Belgium, and inany other crowned heads. : ■ Sipido, a tinsmith by trade, is a Belgian, of Italian extraction, andonly « fifteen years old. He is a round-faced youth, with black eyes and dark hair. He attended a pro-Boer meeting on Tuesday. The Belgian public is sincerely indignant at the affair, and blame the Press for inciting .their countrymen against Great Britain.