Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1899-05-20
KING rs In A SCRAPE.
BELGIAN RULER IN ANOTHER
z SCANDAL.
Nay Figure IN the Courts - Leopold
Creates New Sensation by Protecting
His Partner In Ops ration Of Gambiing
Hells.
Especial letter.

l
There never was fairy book king
who was such picturesquely wicked
old monarch as is Louis Philippe Maria
Victor Leopold H., king OF Belgium,
sopereign OF the independent COnAo
5t2tes. duke of Saxony, prince OF SAKE
Coburg and Gotha, colonel OF the
Twenty-seyenth regiment OF imperial |
infantry, German empire; chief of the
Royal Prussian dragons, squadron IA;
Knight OF the Garter, Knight of the
Golden Fleece, and Knight of the
Black Eagle. Besides these things he
has benign, fatherly beard and rec
ord OF scandals that would make even
the Princess Chimay blush. And now
there is chance that he may add to
the browning glory to his worthy
career by being tried on criminal
charges. AT any rate. il he is not
tried, 1t will be only because the Grim
iDal courts dare not prosecute him.
Leopold's weakness for dancers and
other charming and entertaining but
expensive Injuries and designations has |
been keeping him hard up for many |
/ led him to go into the gambling hell
| business with the devout hope OF
! knocking out his royal colleague In
4 the south OF Europe, the prince OF
Monaco. But something has gone
wrong with the old mans calculations.
His wonderful manipulation OF the al
fairs connected with the gambling
! hoe Qh0Ilt
his ears that a deputy has announced
that he will lay the case before the
criminal authorities and hale the dear
old royal offender before court to
answer charges of fraud and bribery.
1t all began with the kings chaste ano
pious efforts to make Ostend, the fam
Gus watering place, resort equally
famous for its gambling facilities.
With the delightful complacence which
is his popularity he used the city prop
erty for the erection OF the dens, and
they have municipal protection in the
shape of policemen, who are posted
before them night and day like SEN
tries. The gambling places have been
enormously popular, so much so that
| AtOpOlu has iOuhu IL posSibiS " $500
several choice scandals to his collec-
, ton, which already was more complete
, than that OF any other potentate. The
favorite game is Les Petits Cheyaux,
, Little Horses" which generally man
aged to get large horses on the persons
who staked their money. The man
y who held the government leases for the
I oh ma n
Baron Delloye. He is particularly
warm friend OF the king and sus-
a pteious persons have said for years
a that the two were in partnership. Del
/, loye was paying 363,000 francs an
: nually for the privilege. This was
r known to be ridieulously low rental,
:, as 1t was understood that his profit
o was ten millions year When his
/, lease ran out, few months ago, the
municipal council of Ostend, which
a has to take the first action on leases
of this kind. declined to renew at the
old figures Delloye generously offered
;, to pay 100000 francs. But the coun
:, ell was bullsh, and demanded 10000
:, francs. Delloye made kick. Tha
,r WAS 1OOllSn. Up DOubeu dHptHeI pm
., lanthropist who was willing to pa,
:, 1900 900 francs year for the Chris
a tian privilege of winning the money o
his fellow-men and women. He pro
). duced excellent security for his offer
10 but. to the surprise of all innocent fol
:. in Ostend, the virtuous city fathers de
- clined to consider the offer. The ex
~ cuse was the rather lame one that
would never do to accept so high
rental, as 1t would shock public opin
ion to let 1t go abroad that the gam
bling privileges were worth so great
sum. Then there began fight bs
tween the rival gamblers, and the ma
of ter was dragged before the house {
representatives, which has jurisdicuo
n over the acts of municipal council
he The house ordered that the council al
he vertise for bids. The council said
er- would be degrading. The house al
in nounced that 1t would not let Oster
in gamble at all then. The council b
rk. gan to cajole, threaten, and, membe
ms OF the house say, to offer brides. b
I'd.