The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-12-26

altogether the best ruler Servia has ever
had but there were continued conspiracies
against him by partisans of the Kara
george family, and, being unable TO control
the Parliament, they removed Michael by
assassination. He was murdered in the
garden of his country palace. 1t was the
intention of the conspirators to proclaim
Peter Karageorgovitch as King stimuli
taneously with the announcement Of
Michaels death, but their carriage broke
down on their way back to Belgrade and
The minister of war took prompt action,
arrested the assassirs and locked them up
in the dungeon of the citadel.
The plot proved TO be widespread. Sew
eral members of the Karageorge family
were convicted of completely and put to
death, but there was no direct evidence
against Peter, who then. as now, was living
quietly at Lucenre, Switzerland, engaged in
scientific pursuits. His late wife, Zorka, was
a daughter of the reigning prince of Monte
negro, and he has two sons in the Russian
army. He is now an old man, but like Don
Carlos of Spain and the Duke of Orleans of
France, is a recognized "pretender," and
his name is always used by the outs as a
shibboleth when they are trying TO raise
a revolution.
The national assembly placed Milan "
on the throne and in 1869 he was crowned
While getting his education in Paris he had
acquired habits of luxury, gambling and
dissipation which untitled him for the re-
sponsibility OF ruling primitive and a
restless country like SerVia. His love of
pleasure, his low tastes, reckless eXtrava-
gance and selfish disposition We're his ruin
He squandered the nations money and
lost his private fortune at cards. His wife,
Natalie keSkhO, daughter of a colonel in
the Russian army, was compelled to leave
him and was finally granted a divorce
Their domestic troubles and the scandals
of the SerVian court for a dozen years
during the reign of Milan furnished gos-
sip for all Europe and finally enervated by
dissipation and despised by his subjects
and all decent people, he abdicated in
1889 in favor of his son Alexander, a lad
of thirteen, who is now King of Servia.
QUEEN DRAGA.
This precocious youth, when not more
than fifteen years old, fell under the fasci-
nations of Nine. Draga Maschin, who had
been lady-in-waiting to his mother She
is ambitious and brilliant woman, gifted
with considerable beauty, and the daughter
of cattle dealer in Belgrade named Lunje-
vita. When she was only seventeen or
eighteen she married Colonel Maschin, an
engineer in the Servian army who obtained
a divorce from her because of her scandal
Gus relations with the young King, which
began when he was mere boy. and since
that time she has resided in the palace and
has absolutely controlled him. His mother
the Dowager Queen Natalie, attempted to
bring the boy to his senses and break off
the relations, but Nine. Draga had more in
fiuence than the mother and actually COM
PEELED the latter to leave the palace and
Kingdom or SerVfa. Natalie Is now reSid-
ing at BiarritZ, very much respected and
beloved by many people, although she made
herself unhappy and excited much hostility
among the Servian politicians by her SYM
pathy with Russia and her desire TO bring
Servia within the Russian influence What
ever may have been said Of her political i'm
prudence, her character has never been
questioned.
Draga was ambitious to share the throne
with her youthful lover although she was
nearly twice his age, but her aspirations
have been stubbornly opposed by the min
listers of state and the leading politicians
of Servia- After the addiction of his
father. Prince Alexander. during his
minority, ruled the country through three
regents, all venerable and patriotic men,
but it became necessary for Draga TO get
rid of them for her own safety and the
success of her schemes. She found the
young King a willing tool, and one night
when he was only seventeen years Old he
invited the regents TO the palace, and while
they sat at dinner they were arrested upon
a charge of treason and thrown into
prison, while he proclaimed himself King
This coup detat was successful for the
army admired the audacity OF the young
ster and sustained him. He has since
married his mistress, and she remains as
influential as ever the most interesting
and conspicuous figure in Servian politics