From the South Wales Argus June 29th 1914:
Austrian archduke assassinated
Heir apparent and his consort shot
Dastardly crime in Bosnian town
The unfortunate house of Hapsburg
Once more tragedy has visited the unhappy House of Hapsburg and today the Archduke Francis Ferdinand, the Heir Apparent to the throne of the Dual Monarchy, and his wife, the Duchess of Habenburg, lie dead in the little Bosnian Town of Sarajevo.
Throughout the civilised world, it is no exaggeration to say, a thrill of horror ran when the tragic tidings became known, and in this country, as elsewhere, a feeling of deep regret prevailed, not only at the death of the Archduke and his wife, but at this further blow to the vulnerable Emperor, whose lot, as the “Times” points out, it has been to endure manifold and terrible sorrows such as mortal man has rarely known. All the suffering and woe which life can produce seem to have poured upon his aged and lonely figure.
Only on Sunday morning Francis Joseph left Vienna for his summer holiday amid the acclamations of his subjects.
Personal misfortune ever dogs the House of Hapsburg, but no member of that House has ever had to bear such a grievous succession of domestic calamities as its present head. As Monarch the Emperor Francis Joseph has been more than usually fortunate. He has safely brought his Empire serious reverses, has triumphed over many internal difficulties, and in his declining years has enjoyed unbound affection of his people.
Yet his public successes have always been overshadowed by his private griefs. The death of his brother Maximilian in Mexico, the tragedy of the Crown Prince a Rudolf, the crowning blow of the assassination of the Empress Elizabeth, and now this last dreadful occurrence, make a story of woe which history furnishes few parallels. The sympathy of the whole world will go forth to the bereaved Emperor, and all Englishmen will pray that he may be able to bear this final affliction with the fortitude he has never failed to show in his deepest trials.
The sad news was received at Newport on Sunday through a Vienna message received by the South Wales Argus, and the notification and subsequent messages were promptly posted at the head office. The distressing tidings soon spread, and crowds congregated round the windows discussing the tragedy. Messages were sent from the Argus office to various centres in the county. The full story of the crime was not then available, but full details will follow tomorrow.
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