Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1903-06-18
NEW MONARCH
OUTLINES PLANS
Hopes to See Servia Prosper
Under Liberal Constitu-
ton of 1889.
DENIES COMPLETELY IN CRIME
Expresses His Deep Regret That l
Was Thought Necessary to shes
Blood and Disapproves OF Violent
Measures Resorted To.

Geneva, June 15.--Prince Peter ka-
rageorgevitch, the newly proclaimed
king of Servia, gave an interview in
which he repeated his disclaimer OF
any completely, direct or indirect, in
the assassinations of King Alexander
and Queen Draga. He expressed his
.detestation of the crime, and gave a
brief outline of his own political ten
denotes. Replying to series of direct
questions, Prince Peter said:
New King Is Surprised.
cit is true my partisans have COM
plete organization in Servia with
which | am in frequent communica
ton. I know from other sources that
the discomfort OF the Servian people
had reached it's height, but could
not possibly have foreseen the events
of the other night. l in no way con
tributed to their preparation and |
took no part, direct or indirect, in
them. On the contrary, their perpe
tration surprised me.
81 calmly await the trend of events.
SO long as no formal proposals reach
me | have no reason to leave Geneva
and will remain here. No one has
yet asked me to return to Servia. Nc
one has yet offered me the crown. l
am even without news of the members
of my family who reside in Belgrade
Regrets Bloodshed.
'tMy opinion of the execution Of the
King and Queen of Servia is this: ]
deeply regret that it has been thought
necessary to shed streams of blood. i
formally disapprove of the violent
measures and especially deplore that
the army has had recourse to such
measures-an army which has nobier
tasks to accomplish than assassina
ton. 1t would have sufiiced to force
King Alexander to sign his abdication,
He could have been bound. as has been
done in other circumstances. 1t is a
horrible thing to shed blood.
"You ask what will be my attitude
when l am in possession of the crown
We will assume that / am called to
the throne-I shall not fail to take in.
spiration from the admirable institu
learned to appreciate highly. l am in
favor of absolute liberty of press. l
hope to see Servia prosper under the
constitution of 1889, which is very lib
eral.
Favors Russia.
Regarding foreign relations, it has
been alleged that | am systematically
hostile to Austria. That is false.
Maybe / am in special sympathy with
Russia, to which country | sent my
. boy in the hope that he would take
service there"
Prince Karageorgevitch is devoted
to his children, especially to his son
for the summer vacation their father
takes them regularly to the Greek
church and carefully watches over
their studies. He frequently talked to
their professors insisting that they
should make the boys study hard, espe-
ciasly George, as he might one day be
King of Servia, but he never discussed
the situation with George.
Burial of Royal Couple.
Belgrade, June liking Alexander
and Queen Draga were buried at 1:30
o'clock Friday morning in the family
vault of the Obrenovitches in the
chapel of the cemetery of st. Mark.
The strictest privacy was main
tanned in order to avoid hostile demon
strations. Two collins were brought in
by servants and carried up to the room
where the bodies of the assassinated
king and queen were lying. The
corpses were then put in the collins
and the latter were placed in hearse,
which was hurriedly driven to the old
cemetery, where the other members
of the Obrenovitch family are in.
tered. In addition to the attendants
only two priests were present at the
funeral. The metropolitan of Bel
grade was absent. The whole cere.
mony lasted only few minutes.
The autopsy neld has proved that
the late king received thirty shots
wounds, many of them deadly. Queen
Draga had numerous shot and sabeI
wounds, and it is alleged that her
body was torn in barbaric fashion.