Anarchist Shot At King Alfonso.

New York Times 100 years ago today, April 14, 1913:
Young Monarch Was Unhurt by Three Bullets, One of Which Wounded His Horse.
CRIED "LONG LIVE SPAIN!"
Loyal Populace Cheered Him as He Continued His Ride to the Palace.
CROWDS BENT ON LYNCHING
Alegre, the Assassin, Is an Anarchist — Says He Shot to Avenge Ferrer.
ATTEMPTS ON ALFONSO'S LIFE.
    June 18, 1903— A lunatic shot at him and his mother as they were returning from church in Madrid.
    January, 1904— A bomb was found just outside the Royal Palace in Madrid.
    May 31, 1905— A bomb was thrown at the King and President Loubet of France as they were driving through the streets of Paris.
    November, 1905— Cartridges were exploded in the Church of San Pedro, Madrid, where he was attending service.
    May 31, 1906— A bomb hurled at the carriage bearing King Alfonso and his bride from their wedding ceremony killed eleven persons in the streets of Madrid.
    1908— A bomb was thrown at the King in Barcelona.
    Jan. 5, 1911— An explosion occurred in the crowd surrounding the King on a visit to Malaga.
    April 13, 1913— Rafael Sanchez Alegre, a Spanish Anarchist, fired three shots at the King as he rode through the capital after a public ceremony.

By Marconi Transatlantic Wireless Telegraph to The New York Times.
    MADRID, April 13.— As King Alfonso was returning from the ceremony of swearing in recruits this afternoon a man who is believed to be an Anarchist attempted his Majesty's life by firing three shots point-blank at him. The King was not injured, but he had a narrow escape.
    The King, surrounded by a gorgeously uniformed escort, including the Captain General of Madrid and the General Staff, left the scene of the ceremony, Queen Victoria and her mother, Princess Henry of Battenberg, following in an open carriage. The procession passed slowly along the Paseo de la Castellaña, amid the cheers of a vast assemblage. Fifteen minutes later the royal party arrived before the Calle del Turco, where Marshal Prim fell mortally wounded by assassins on Dec. 27, 1870. At this point the King received a tremendous ovation, and was affably responding to the enthusiasm of the crowd when a revolver shot was heard above the cheers. Two more shots were fired, in quick succession, one wounding in the neck the horse behind which the King was standing, and the other striking the harness.
    After the third shot the crowd awakened from the stupor into which it had been thrown by the first report, and it was soon in a state of utter confusion. Perfect order, however, prevailed among the royal bodyguard, the members of which immediately surrounded the King.

Assassin Seized by a Policeman.
    When the assassin fired the first shot a policeman named Vicente Canelada, who was standing near him, struck him on the arm, grappled with him, and succeeded in bringing him to the earth. The two men struggled furiously, and the criminal then managed to fire the two last shots, wounding another policeman slightly in the leg. He was then overpowered and conducted by the police to a house near the scene of the outrage, where he was handcuffed. The crowd attempted to lynch him as he was being led across the street to a place of security.
    On recovering from their momentary panic, the huge throngs on both sides of the wide thoroughfare broke into cheers for their monarch, the demonstration continuing for several minutes. The spontaneous ovation recalled the King's reception after attending the funeral of the late Señor Canalejas, when he was frantically acclaimed for his courage in showing himself in public after the murder of his Minister.
    A few minutes afterward the procession was again in motion, the King riding his wounded horse to the palace.
    On arriving at the palace the King said that the first shot was well aimed, but by a miracle did not hit him. He added laughingly that the man's hand was evidently shaky, and finished by saying to those with him:
    "Gentlemen, the affair is all over, and it has been nothing."
    The King was out riding again in the afternoon. The public gave him a tremendous ovation, shouting, "Death to Anarchism! Long live our brave King!"
    Surrounded by thousands of persons who acclaimed him, his Majesty rode off to the Casa de Campo.
    The name of the King's assailant is Rafael Sancho Alegre. He is a native of Barcelona, a carpenter by trade, and arrived in Madrid about six weeks ago.

In Revenge for Ferrer's Death.
    When he was first asked how he came to make the attempt upon the King's life, he refused to answer. He was urged to speak, and began: "You see—" but did not finish the sentence. Finally he said: "I don't know; I can't say."
    He expressed himself as very glad when told that the King was unhurt.
    To another inquirer he is said to have declared that his idea was to avenge Ferrer's death.
    Allegre has not the repulsive appearance of the ordinary criminal; on the contrary, his face is pleasant and intelligent. He is of medium height, with a delicate skin, wears a black mustache, and is well groomed. In appearance he is more like a clerk than a manual laborer. All that is known of his antecedents confirms the suspicion that he is an Anarchist, that his attempt was premeditated, and that he had only awaited the occasion for carrying out his design.
    The police are making house-to-house searches, hoping to detain another well-known Anarchist. Allegre says he had no accomplices.

    MADRID, April 13.— King Alfonso owed his life to his own courage, quickness, and skilled horsemanship. Accompanied by his staff, he was riding along the Calle de Alcala on the way back from the ceremony of swearing in the recruits, when a man sprang from the sidewalk and seized the bridle of the King's horse with one hand, presenting a revolver point-blank with the other.

Bullet Wounds the King's Horse.
    The King took in the situation at a glance. With lightning rapidity he dug his spurs into his horse, which reared violently. His quickness saved his life. The bullet, instead of burying itself in the King's breast, struck the horse on the neck, but so close was it that the King's left-hand glove was blackened by the powder discharge. Before the assailant was able to pull the trigger again a Secret Service man sprang upon him. The two men fell to the ground locked in each others arms, struggling furiously. The assassin managed to free his revolver arm and fired two more shots in rapid succession, but the officer knocked his arm aside, and the bullets went wild.
    At the sound of the first shot the King's staff forced their horses on the sidewalk and made a ring around the assassin, who fought long and fiercely in the grip of four policemen before he was overpowered and handcuffed.
    King Alfonso, as soon as he saw that the man had been secured, raised himself in the stirrups, turned to the crowd, gave a military salute, and shouted in a ringing voice: "Long live Spain!"
    He then dismounted and reassured his staff, saying: "It is nothing, gentlemen."
    Then uprose a mighty roar from the wildly enthusiastic populace, which rolled along in great waves of sound, all the way to the palace, as the King rode along, cool, collected, and smiling.
    A spectator, a pensioned royal halberdier, pushed forward so impetuously to offer his congratulations to the monarch that he was mistaken for another assassin and arrested. He was released, however, as soon as the mistake was discovered. A young Frenchman who was standing beside Allegro was also arrested, but it does not appear that he was in any way connected with him.

Crowds Try to Lynch the Assassin.
    The crowds made a determined attempt to lynch Allegro, who was hurriedly taken into a house and kept there until an automobile ambulance, escorted by mounted police, transferred him to Police Headquarters.
    The police investigations have established that Allegro was recently expelled from France as an Anarchist. Then he went to Barcelona. He came to Madrid a month ago and obtained employment in a carpenter shop. He worked there until Friday, when he was paid off.
    King Alfonso was first to tell Queen Victoria and his mother of what he lightly called "the incident which caused delay."
    He had hardly been back ten minutes when an immense clamor arose. The two squares on which the palace looks were black with people of all classes desirous of showing their joy at the King's safety and their admiration for his display of bravery. The King went to the balcony and acknowledged the cheers, and then brought the Queen out, and the two stood bowing to the throngs for several minutes.

Allegre Expelled from France.
    It is said that during the course of his first examination Allegro asserted that on seeing the King pass he was seized with a sudden evil impulse, and, having a revolver in his pocket, drew it out. Driven on by an irresistible force, he sprang forward and fired.
    A woman said to have been associated with Allegro was placed under arrest to-night.
    A curious coincidence is found in the fact that the Spanish Premier, Count Romanones, last night declared to be absolutely without foundation alarming rumors which had been circulated in Madrid regarding the possibility of an attempt against the King's life to-day on the occasion of the swearing in of the recruits, and relative to the presence in Madrid of several dangerous Anarchists.

The King's Own Story.
    King Alfonso thus describes the attempt against his life:
    "I had reached the corner of the Calle de Alcala, opposite the house of the Marquis do Cuba, when I saw a man come out of the crowd with his hand inside his coat. He attempted to seize the bridle of my horse, and, while I failed to follow exactly what happened, he fired two revolver shots in my direction.
    "At the second shot my horse reared on his hind legs, and, backing hastily, upset my assailant, immediately two of my private policemen jumped on the man, who yet managed to fire a third shot, wounding a policeman. I then dismounted and found that my horse was only slightly hurt. A bullet had grazed him over the saddle girth. I remounted, and returned to the palace."