New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-06-14

the men had left the room the little boy slipped
away from his nurse and began to play with the
roulette wheel He twired the ball around the
bowl and watched it drop down with a click into
the circle of boxes with great enthusiasm.
"And what you DON, ?'' said Milan. who hap
pened to re-enter the
u want to be a gambler as those white
faced men,"
Before Alexander fell under the evil influence Of
his future queen he was believed TO have much Of
the bold. warlke qualities of Mosch. the swine
herd. He expert swimmer. a skilled swords
man and all round athlete, who rejoiced In a
struggle. Before he was called TO the throne. In
1885, when only lad of thirteen, he used to spend
his summers with his mother. the stately Natalie
Their favorite place the fashionable seaside
resort of Biarrtz on the French coast close TO the
Spanish frontier
The first morning after he arrived in Biarritz
one summer, the young prince mounted his wheel
for ride after breakfast In order to attract at
tention lie did ride along the thoroughfares.
but over the lawns and through the flower beds
of rich residents. When reprimanded by one mer-
chant whose roses he had wantonIy destroyed. he
ran to a neghboring fountain and distended mis-
cheeks with water. Returning TO the merchant
as If to apologize for his insoIence the lad sud
denly spurted the whole mouthIul OF water LIlo
the old mans face.
On bicycle he tried to perform many danger
Gus and foolhardy feats- Riding down steps, bal
ancing himself walls and dashing along the wet
beach within striking distance of the waves were
favorite diversions. Indeed he was so rough that
he broke five wheels in less than month.
When he went out boating he delighted In upset
ting the boat watching his companions struggle
with the waves AS for himself, he seemed to be
in his element in the water. He was ever anxious
to arrange a swimming match. and occasionally
his rival was drowned in the attempt TO Keep up
with him. On occasion a workman al MS
mothers villa spoke of his prowess as swimmer
The Servian prince Immediately challenged him
In the race the workman was overcome with
cramps and sank. Alexander waited for MIN al
the Shore but the swimmer never reappeared- Inc
next day the sub-prefect and some town oLlclals
called to congratulate the youth on his escape from
drowning The Prince burst out Laughing aAd dn
swered:
.sThe chicken was drowned. but the drake. slap
ping his breast proudly. hardly wet MS IeatnerS
Before his father Milan was forced 10 aDalcat7
the throne because of designations and bankrupt
o,as which even disguised Servian society. his
o+ber s said by some to have sought to soften her
sons brutal temperament by patient scnoonng anu
religious practices. Even her maternal rononeSS'
however recofed at some Of the boys acts. ana at
his ugiiuess which increased with his years his
hair grew down on his forehead. tapering 10
point only an inch above his nose. partlai odlu-
ness over the temples served stlI ruItheF 10 give
this wedge of hair prominence 10 prevent II
hanging down into his eyes, Alexander AeP. II e.
WAYS as closely cropped as a conVlcCs But INC
soIicide of his mother had little any effect upon
him. and often In church he would arouse her Hoih
her devotions by a loud snore King Mllan was
coward and when he saw tndt MS ElcSo A4o
1ol1,ed him so deeply that there was no escape ne
lid down the crown IN 1883 at the feet Of his
tbirteen-vear-oId son. The next two years OF the
lads life are said to have been most wretched-
The government was ruled by three regents he
was in fact no more than a hostage HIS palace
was little better than prison There was not
soul in all Belgrade to whom ne could TURN Ior
comfort or sympathy. His father and his mother
were exiles. and he was not allowed 10 commune
cate with them The first morning aIter tne re-
from had nj started
leave the palace for favorite cafe The sentry
at the door stopped him.
"But I'm not going to eat alone cried the youth
'eYou cannot pass the gates" was the reply
stand back III choke you!" exclaimed the
lad. as he drew back to spring on the soioleI- y
bayonet drove him back into the palace AFTER
that he ate alone.
The courtiers who surrounded him often treated
him with insolence. They did not lower their
voices in his presence and often fell 10 reteIlhs
stories of his fathers debauches. One day some
remark about ex-King Milan's profigacy in Paris
came to his ears. and he said:
stop talking about my father He Is King no
more 1 am King now
And who are your" interrupted a young army
officer Did not your ancestor. Mlosch. Kill Black
George who gave the peasants their hberty?
Alexander sprang at the officer, but the crowd
pulled him away. The next morning he found at
the bottom of his coffee cup closely folded paper
He opened it and read:
The spirit of Black George Will kill you
Ten years later this prophecy came true Peter
Karageorgevitch, who mas been proclaimed KING Is
the descendant OF the Black George whom M1oscn
brought TO death
Threats on his life frequent Several al
tennis were also made kill the Boy and on one
occasion he narrowly escaped death. On the even
inc NJ March o. 1852 he exercising IN the Mill
rarv Academy, wnen his suspicious eyes nouceo
some one whisper into the ear of his tutor. Win
= faw hasry words the tutor excused hlInseif anu
the how was left alone Though 1t was not ms
,,suaI hour TO end his lessons and though ms rld-
inc master said he would return Immediately. the
youth felt that something was wrong and left the
school. Ten minutes later the building was
wrecked by explosion he force OF the eAp4o-
sion would have killed a company Of soldiers had
tbev been drilling there Yet no attempt made
to capture the would-be assassins- The friends
OF the Obrenovitch family said the plot had been
Matched by the Karageorgevitch party.
II was doubtless this utter ionesomeness that
made Alexander such easy victim for the wiles
OF Nine Draga Maschin. A mere child. he craved
the sympathy OF one older and stronger than him
self Even before his father had abdcated. the
prince had met her lady IN waiting 10 his
mother. She was the daughter OF cattle dealer
named Lunjevitza. When seventeen she had mar
ried Colonel Maschin. engineer in the Servian
army who later obtained divorce when he learned
of her relations with the child prince After Alex
ander became King IL is told how he was wont to
slip away from the palace at night and secretly
visit Mime. Draga at her home
On the night OF April IS. 1888. the young Alexander
showed again that though he Inherited MS IatneT
degeneracy he vas not a coward like Milan There
was state banquet at the palace IL was DILL
iant company. At the table sat the regents and