Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury [Connecticut]) 1903-1917, 1903-08-07
A SERvIAN TABLEAU
Described by the Principal Figure,
King Milan.

One of the most dramatic stories
of royal life / ever heard was told me
tby Moreton Frewen, the English
traveller and economist, shortly before
he sailed for home. a few weeks ago.
Mr. Frewen is a good deal of a sports
man, and has visited many countries
in search of big game. Some years
ago he was one of a party that occu-
pied a hunting lodge dn the depths Of
Hungarian forest. Among the 9TH
er sportsmen there was King Milan
of Servia. One evening, while they
were all gathered about the supper
table in the hunting lodge, Milan told
this story:
II had not been long upon the
throne of Servia,' said the king,
''before my secret agents brought me
the details of plot that had been
formed against my life. The con-
spiracy embraced so many men in mil
itary and civil life that my advisers
were very much alarmed and wanted
me to cause them all to fbe summarily
removed. replied that it was not
the business of king to depopulate
his kingdom, and if / executed every
man who Joined plot against me it
would not be long before had no peo~
pie to rule over.
According to the plans of the con-
spirators, I was to be put out of the
way by means of poison. An annual
ceremonial banquet was soon to be
held, and one Of my aides~de-camp,
Colonel Blank. whose duty it was to
hand me golden goblet Of wine was
to see that the cup contained the pro-
per dose. Declining to accept the adj
vice of my ministers to make immedi-
ate arrests, and telling them to leave
the whole matter in my hands, I went
to the banquet. At the proper mo-
ment i'm the ceremonies the aide-de-
camp came UP to me, extended the
golden goblet and made a very pretty
speech, commencing my reign as a
blessing to the Servian people, and
wishing me many more years Of
health and happiness.
Il took the goblet" continued Mi
Ian, "and held 1t ,aIoft moment while
I gazed about the banquet hall You
may imagine, gentlemen, the tension
of that moment. Probably a third
of the people in the room knew that
the wine was poisoned, many of the
those of my trusted people who had
been Informed of the plot. AS I
looked into the eyes of the hundred
men who sat watching me. 1t seemed
to me could distinguish the friends
from the foes, though it was not diff
ficult to tell which were in the ma
jority. Probably 7 was the calmest
man of them all, for knew all that
they knew, and something more be-
sides.
Mobiles and gentlemen of Servia,
I exclaimed, 1T gives me great pleas
ure to receive this mark of affection
and support of my people. It is with
the happiest feelings of good will TO
all and love for our dear country that
I drink to your toast
AT this juncture / touched my lips
to the golden goblet and watched
with keen interest the Involuntary
shudder that ran round the !. room
Pausing then, without having tasted
the wine, you may be sure, resumed:
Upon second thought will not
drink this toast myself. see around
me scores of my loyal officers, minis
tiers and friends. There is one among
them who has given me such marked
proof of his devotion that now pro-
pose to pay him the unusual honor of
asking him to be my deputy and to
drink this toast in my stead
$50 saying I turned to Colonel
Blank, the aide-de-camp and would
be regicide, who stood by my side,
and handed the goblet to him.
shall never forget the look upon his
face. In his eyes / could read his
thoughts. He had been betrayed;
his plot was known to me; he had his
choice between drinking his own pois-
on or being executed by my orders be-
fore daylight. He hesitated a mo-
ment, then he bowed to me and to the
company and drained the cup to the
last drop. A few moments later he
fell dead at my feat.
s'And that" concluded the King, lis
what call the death of gentleman.
He took his own medicine with a
1y.a yarv worthy of q hotter ca1lSa'