June 29, 1914

If a high school boy today were to ask his parents to recall their reaction to the news just 25 years ago of the assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand and the Duchess of Hohenberg in Sarajevo, Bosnia capital, he probably would be told the event made little or no impression at the time. True, it was the “lead” story in most newspapers, but to the average American, occupied with his own problems and diversions, the assassinations were looked upon as just another local squabble in a section of Europe where passions had always been aroused easily.

The reader of the Schenectady Gazette picked up his paper on Monday morning June 29, 1914, and read the headline, “Student Kills Heir to Austrian Throne.” He was told how “the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, Archduke Francis Ferdinand, and his morganatic wife, the Duchess of Hohenberg, were shot to death today while driving through the streets of Sarajevo, the Bosnian capital. A youthful eighth grade Servian student fired the shots that ended their lives and added another to the long list of terrible tragedies that have darkened the reign of Emperor Francis Joseph...”

If he wanted sidelights on the event, the reader could ponder the beliefs of Nikola Tesla, electrical inventor, who in an interview in New York city said he hoped that “this act will be treated as the deed of irresponsible maniacs, and will end there. It cannot be denied, however, that the situation is dangerous. Austro-Hungary is a conglomeration of a great many nationalities and the union is so loose that the slightest shock is likely to shatter the empire.”

“I firmly believe,” said Tesla, “that if there is no war during the next 10 years the problems now confronting the nations will be naturally and easily solved. But if the issues are forced at this moment there will be great loss of life and civilization will be just so much retarded.”

It is doubtful, however, that many readers paid much attention to Tesla or any other apprehensive observer, for it was hard for Americans at that time to see any connection between an assassination in a Bosnian town and life in the United States. In the first place, it was “another in the long list of tragedies” in the reign of the emperor. Previous uprisings had apparently had no far-reaching effects; why should this one? Then, too, if war was to come it would be a localized conflict. Or even if war spread throughout Europe, the United States would be affected only indirectly.

So the average reader looked at the picture of the archduke and his family, said “Huh!” and turned to the more interesting news items. He learned, for example, that “although there were no new developments yesterday in the Mohawk river murder mystery, Chief Rynex expressed himself as pleased with the progress made toward solution of the mystery surrounding the finding of a part of a female torso taken from the river a week ago.” About 2,500 Schenectady men had taken part in the great demonstration in Albany the previous day in honor of the 50th anniversary of the ordination of Rt. Rev. T. M. A. Burke, bishop of Albany. Reports from Washington said the bombardment of the rebel city of Puerta Plata by the president of Santo Domingo had been silenced by fire from the main battery of the American gunboat Machias. The Anchor line steamer California went aground on the rocks off Tory island. The outlook for the day was “thunder showers.” A new iceless refrigerator was following in the footsteps of the fireless cooker. The various standardizing committees of the General Electric Company were planning their third annual outing in which they would go by automobile to Pittsfield. The Nine Mile bridge claimed two more victims in a motorcycle accident. Mayor Schoolcraft and fire officials were appealing for a safe and sane Fourth and warning that the ordinances would be enforced. Schenectady golfers, headed by H. L. Towne, were being defeated in a match with Troy golfers led by William Boswell. President Wilson sent his regrets at being unable to attend the state encampment of United Spanish War Veterans to be held in this city the coming week. A few days before, the President in his answer to opponents of trust legislation had “promised this country the greatest boom in history, giving final answer to prophets of evil times and foes of trust measures.” Readers of the paper were being informed of the popularity of the book, “Modern Dancing,” by Mr. and Mrs. Vernon Castle. The General Electric report for 1913 had showed a profit of $14,000,000. Hot weather was coming. Schenectadians were going on vacations.

In a little city thousands of miles away an angry youth fired a gun at a man and woman in an automobile. Americans read the story, yawned and then became engrossed in “the more important” news of the day.