REPUBLIC RED ROLL

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 400, 8 December 1932, Page 2

REPUBLIC RED ROLL

ASSASSINS AT WORK TRAGIC DEATH S OF KINGS AND PRESIDENTS OF FRANCE. KNIFE, BOMB AND BULLET. Coming, as it does, so soon after the assassination of Pr>esident Dourner in May last by the Russian Gourg'uloff, the attempt to wreck the train by which the Prime Minister of ranee, M. Herriot, was travelling, recalls Ixow exposed to the risk of death by violence public men of th'at Republic are, compared with personages in countries generally regarded as much more turbul'ent, writes John Taylor in the Sydney Sun. Away back in 1589, Hemy III of France was murdered, Ihis successor, Henry IV had his reign similarly cut slxort in 161Q, and it was not for w'ant of trying on the part of would-be assassins that, nearjy 100 years ago, Louis Philippe did not meet a like fate. The first attempt on his life was made in 1885, two more attempts were m'ade during the next year, a fourth in 1840, and .still two more in 1846. Though the intended victim escap'ed scathless, the most bloody affair of its kind that France has seen was the attempt by the Italian anarchist, Felice Orsini, to blow up Napoleon III. "Host with His Own Petard-" Driven from italy, Orsini spent some time in England. Then, going to Paris in January; 1858, be and companions threw three bombs at Emperor and Empress as they were on their way to the opera.

Ten people were iklled, and 153, including Orsini himself, were wounded, but the Emperor and Empress came out unh'armed. Thb killing of Marat, by Charjotte Cprday, in 1793, is one of the notable assasinations in history, and the stormy period of more th'an 6 and 70 years ago ,saw three suceessive Archbishops of P'aris meet violent deaths. During the disturbances in 1848, Arehbishop Affre elimbed on the barricades with a green bough in his •'hand, as a symbol of peace, and attempted to address the crowd, but had hardly begun to spealc when firing was resumed, 'and h'e fell mortally wounded, though it is generally conceded that there was no intention to lcill him in particular. His successor, Arehbishop Sibour, was murdered during a religious service in 1857,' and the next to oc.eupy the high office was Georges Darboy. Shot While Hostage. This worthy .prelate gained the love of all classes by his benevolenco, which good work he carried on until, during the German siege of Paris, in 1871, he was arrested by the Communards and held as a hostages but ultimately was shot in prison. Since then, tbe assassin'ations and attempts thereat have all had a purely political flavour. An accident that might have resulted in a shoclcing loss of life occurred in the Chamber of Deputies in December, 1893. As the 'anarchist Vaillant threw a bomb from the gallery, a woman grabbed'his arm, and so deflected his aim that the missile struck a chandelier and oxploded without injuring anyone. Six months later Europe was sh'oeked when the popular President, S'adi Carnot, was fatally stabbed at the Lyons Exhibition by the Italian anarchist, Caserio.

"Tiger" was Tough. Then, in July, 1896, an attempt was made on tbe life of President Faure, but', thereafter, heads of the republic were unharmed until, in February, 1919, President Clemence'au was se\'erely wounded by Emile Cottin, who fired nine shots at "The Tiger." In the meantime — five years before, on the eve of the outbreak of the war — a great stir had been caused by the murder of the Socialist leader Jaures, who was held in such high regard tbat he was buried in the Pantheon. Clemenceau had been nearly killed years before, during the Commune, and in 1893, during a duel, he wounded Paul Deschanel, destined to succeed him as President in 1919. No ass'assins had designs on Deschanel, but he nearly met a tragic end all the same. In May, 1920, he fell from a moving train, and his injuries led to a long illness that ineap'aeitated him from further public duty.