her countries of Europe. The
Prime Minister of Spain, Canovas del Castillo, was chiefly responsible
for the torture of the victims. And in 1897 a young Italian, Angiolillo,
went to Spain, and, at an interview which he sought with the Prime
Minister, shot him. The same year an attempt was made on the life of the
king of Greece, and in 1898 the Empress of Austria was assassinated in
Switzerland by an Italian named Luccheni. The latter had gone there
intending to kill the Duke of York, but, not finding him, decided to
destroy the Empress. In 1900 King Humbert of Italy was assassinated by
Gaetano Bresci. The latter had been working as a weaver in America,
where he had also edited an anarchist paper. He was deeply moved when
the story reached him of some soldiers who had shot and killed some
peasants, who through hunger had been driven to riot. He demanded money
of his comrades in Paterson, New Jersey, and, when he obtained it,
hurried back to his native land, where, at Monza, on the 29th of July he
shot the King. The next year on September 5, President McKinley was
shot in Buffalo by Leon Czolgosz.

No other striking figure appears among the anarchists until 1912. In the
early months of that year all Paris was terrified by a series of crimes
unexampled, it is said, in Western history. The deeds of Bonnot and his
confederates were so reckless, daring, and openly defiant, their escapes
so miraculous, and the audacity of their assaults so incredible, that
the people of Paris were put in a state bordering on frenzy. Just before
the previous Christmas, in broad daylight, on a busy street, the band
fell upon a bank messenger. They shot him and took from his wallet
$25,000. They then jumped in an automobile and disappeared. A short time
later a police agent called upon a chauffeur who was driving at excess
speed to stop. It was in the very center of Paris, but instead of
slackening his pace one of the occupants of the car drew a revolver,
and, firing, killed the officer. A pursuit was organized, but the
murderers escaped.

Several other crimes were committed by the band in the next few days,
but perhaps the most daring was that of March 25. In the forest of
Senart, at eight o'clock in the morning, a band of five men stopped a
chauffeur driving a powerful new motor car. They shot the chauffeur and
injured his companion. The five men then took the car, and proceeded at
great speed to the famous racing center of Chantilly. They went