The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-12-01

from the bank, and Is urging MS IrlenOS
to recall theirs. while public officials are or
dered to do so on pain Of his Majesty's dis
pleasure. Draga vowed to ruin the National
Bank of Servia, and Is doing her level best
to carry out her intention.
PUBLIC HAND-KISSING.
Even before the stories related had filed
the capital with amazement at the impu-
dence of this seedy nobody. Nicodem, the
Servians' sense Of the fitness OF things had
been severely tried by the lieutenant's &C.
casional fits Of bigheadedness. When the
spirit Of ACKNOWLEDGEMENT seizes him, this
young fop compels men and women OF his
acquaintance to kiss his hand at chance
meetings in the street, in church, or on
the battle-ground before the assembled sol
diers. Because his sister may lay claim
to this form Of salutation by reason Of
her exalted rank. the so-called Crown
Prince thinks he is entitled to the same
mode Of outward Difference. It's a dis
gusting spectacle to see white-haired ladies
and gentlemen greet this ridiculous BOBBY
with a courtesy that even the Czarina de-
mands only on a ceremonial occasion and
when seated on the throne. Yet, a good
many Belgrade people, particularly officials
and their ladies. submit to his unheard-of
demand for fear of endangering their po-
sition or of Offering Alexander or Draga
an excuse for venting their ill-will against
them.
One afternoon Nicodem took up his stand
on the sidewalk opposite the palace, and
there, cigarette in mouth and riding whip
in hand, "held cercle," as the courtly
phrase has it, compelling passersby TO how
and scrape to him and kiss his hand. Per-
GRna rrfr - o,r1sl ~ D,@f~ ~ IyoaD
ing on the other side of the street, were
called to cross over and do their duty"
and If at all slow the Crown Prince quick
ened their pace by cracking his whip with
significant gestures. This was too much
even for Belgrade, long used to the in
decencies of her rulers.
Next morning the dead walls of the CAPT
tai were placarded with a telling carica-
ture Of the royal enfant terrible, who
makes his foster father and his nurse trem-
bic at his antics, while Mamma Draga
peacefully slumbers on. This cartoon re-
ferring to the ha~lf-forgotten delinquent
stork affair-the first Of the kind pub
licly exhibited in S~ervia-threw the King
into a paroxism Of rage, and he would
have punished the city by establishing
martial law if the Cabinet had not threat
CACu " ISSlSn- as y NlCOQtIl, he COu-
tinued, before as after, to heap outrage
upon outrage. Or the evening the day
when the caricature appeared he sent word
to the biggest music hall in Belgrade to
reserve a box for him. cautioning the pro-
prietor to see to it that the national hymn
be played upon his appearance and with
drawal and that the audience. as a mark
Of respect, rise from their seats.
of the advertisement, but the unanimous
Difference shown him intoxicated the crown
prince. After looking at the performance
for a few minutes he called to the leader,
ordering him to stop the music he was
playing and repeat the national anthem
while he, Nicodem, was going out. 1t was
done, but half an hour later Nicodem re-
appeared, interrupting the performance
and making the people rise In their seats
while the national hymn was droned out
for the third time. And this sort of thing
happened seven times in succession, the
audience getting more and more turbulent
and abusive every minute.
BATTERED HIM UP.
After the last intermission, as one of the
favorites of the Belgrade stage was about
to appear, NicOdem again attempted to
take a walk to the national tune, and the
audience promptly rose, but in revolt. a
thousand hoarse threats began hooting,
whistling and heaping invectives upon the
crown prince and the unhappy woman, his
sister, while more than fifty citizens in
vaded the corridor reserved for royalty and
played football with the heir to the crown.
lat Nicodem got out alive is entirely due
TO the efforts of his military escort-as it
was he lost two teeth, several handfuls of
hair and the distinguishing marks of his
military equipment, such as sabre, helmet,
epaulets and decorations. Besides, one of
his royal eyes was blackened and he was
severely bruised all over the body.
The Servian law recognizing nc privileged
classes, the King, had no means for pun
ishing the offenders except by an act Of
despotism which. at the time. he had not
the courage to offer, but Queen Draga was
equal to the occasion. To compensate
Nicodem for his pains. she ordered the
minister Of nance to make him an allow
ance of 5000 francs per month, and when
he refused, pleading constitutional obsta-
cles, she commanded the administrator of
the royal civil list to advance the cash.
pending the action Of Parliament. The act
caused the chief Of the department to re-
sign, as this additional charge, small as it
is, threatens to unbalance the royal
finances already ~overburdened by Alexan-
der's and Draga's extravagances, and by
the demands OF the Queens numerous
family.
Belgrade financiers having full knowl-
edge OF the situation, predict that his
Majesty will have to go into bankruptcy
very soon unless heroic measures for stop
ping the leaks are taken without delay.
A FAMILY OF SUCKERS"
Besides Modem, the whole Lunjevitza
family lives off King A~lexander's bounty,
though his Majesty is a niggard in all re-
spects where his own self is unconcerned.
Madame Draga's elder sister was married
to a small but respectable banker, named
] Petrovitch, by whom she had a lot of chill
dren ere Alexander espoused his present
wife. But after the wedding a mere banker
was not deemed good enough for the Kings
sister-in-law and the Holy Synod promptly