The Daily News. TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 1914. THE ASSASSIN AT WORK.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 34, 30 June 1914, Page 4

The Daily News. TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 1914. THE ASSASSIN AT WORK.

The news contained in the cable messages of this morning concerning the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand (nephew and heir-presumptive of the Emperor Francis Josef of Austria) and of his wife must have sent a thrill of horror through the people of all countries. It is of little moment that the deed is said to be unconnected with political motives, for whatever it was that prompted the culprit to commit such a dastardly deed the result is enough to cause dire consternation at the existence of such fiends in human shape. It is perfectly evident that the assassin was so completely equipped with deadly weapons that the chances of tlie victims escaping were very small, and little short of a miracle could have prevented the catastrophe. He did his foul work only too well, and the one cause for thankfulness is that the bomb which wa3 found near the spot did not explode and cause further loss of life. It is not surprising that there is an outflow of heartfelt sympathy towards the aged Emperor, who is on the verge of his eigthy-fourth year, and has already had a succession of grievous family troubles and losses, as well as many bitter trials. His only son, Prince Rudolph, is said to have committed suicide, being found shot at Meyerling in 1889, This was followed in 1898 by the assassination of his wife, the Empress Elizabeth, by an Italian anarchist at Geneva. On the death of the Crown Prince Rudolph, heir to the throne, there being no other son, the Emperor's brother, Archduke Charles Louis, became the heir presumptive, but here again trouble arose, for the Archduke renounced his claim in favor of his son, the Archduke Francis Ferdinand, who has just been assassinated. Had he lived to come to the throne his position would have been an extraordinary one, as owing to his morganatic marriage his wife and children were by declaration debarred from taking equal rights or claiming succession. The present state of Austria ia extremely disquieting, and the outlook is distinctly unpromising. It may. be that a revulsion of feeling will take place consequent upon the terrible tragedy, but considering the great age of the Emperor, and the disturbed condition of Hungary, there may be an upheaval that will rend the Empire. These facts give an additional note of sadness to the awful crime that has been perpetrated, and call for a deep feeling of sympathy with the ruler of the country. It is a woeful commentary on the civilisation of the age that there should exist beings capable of committing such acts of barbarism, and it is time that more drastic means should be used to prevent the manufacture of .bombs. In thie case it was the bombs that failed, the deadly work being accomplished by a revolver. There seems to be no possibility of adequately protecting the lives of those in high positions of State from the weapons of the assassin, and the pity of it is that there should be any need to do so.