The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-06-21
REVOLUTION
N SERVIA
Brief History of That .Turbu-
lent C0untr1
NEVER IN QUIET STATE
Liberated from Turks by a
KarageOrgeVitCh
NEVER IN QUIET STATE

At the beginning of the nineteenth cen-
fury Servia was a Turkish province, AMI
was governed by Hadji Mustapha,
just and humane pasta. His pattern rule
did not suit the soldiery, who murdered
him In the reign Of terror that fol-
lowed many Servian leaders were killed.
Among those who escaped was a swine
herd, George Petrovitch, better known as
Kara Black George. To him Servia
owes its independence from the Turks.
lie drove out the Turks and established
q liberal monarchy, reduced taxation.
punished corruption and suppressed vice.
Beset by enemies, he resigned the crown
after a -eisn Of nine years. His descend
ant Prince harageorgevitch BLACK
GeorgR's som had just been proclaimed
King 90 succeed the murdered Alexander.
Aiilos Obren, another peasant, the son
OF a house servant, was Black Georges
rival When Kara George abdicated
1Hlos was appointed governor of the
province by the Turks He procured the
assassination Of Kara George and thus
began the feud between the rival claim
ants Of the Servian throne, which has
lasted to the present hour.
BIiIos reached the throne and ruled as
an autocrat until he was compelled 10
abdicate and was succeeded by his son,
Milan III, who died "A month later and
was succeeded by his son Michael. Mi
chael made good king, but he. too. was
deposeI by the tickle people. who re-
called old AIios. on MiIos' death Michael
was reinstated. He was the best king
Servia ever had but he was assassinated
b. the Raras eorseyitch faction.
Milan ". then assembled the throne. He
was most dissipated monarch. He
married Natalie. tho daughter Of Rus
sian colonel, and King Alexander. just
assassinateu, was their son. Milan squan-
dered the nations money as wen as his
own private fortune. He was divorced
and finally abdicated in favor Of his son
Alexander, then thirteen years Of age.
When not more than fifteen years old
Alexander fell in love with Draga
Aashin wife of an engineer in the
Servian army. who obtained a divorce
from her on account of her scandalous
relations with the boy King. Draga was
the daughter Of a cattle dealer in Bel
grade named Lunjevitz2. She possessed
immense influence over the King, and
managed TO separate him from his moth
er. who opposed his marriage with Drasa.
Alexander ruled the country through
three regents until he was seventeen
years old Drasa determined TO marry
the King. urged him to set rid of these
men, ali venerable and patriotic Servians.
The young King invited the regents to
the palace and, as they sat at dinner, ar
rested them on a charge Of treason. threw
them into prison. and proclaimed himself
sovereign. Then he married Draga.
Queen Victoria. Of Great Britain, was
so Disguised with this sordid comedy en-
acted at the royal palace Of Belgrade
that she Immediately withdrew her min
lister at that court The Russian Car
aud Czarina refused to receive the new
queen.
Draga found her new relations with the
King anything but agreeagie. She lost
his favor 10y an attempt to palm off on
him a pseudo heir The lack of an heir
10 the throne was always a grievance on
Alexander's part, and had not the tragedy
occurred At the palace the chances are
that he would have divorced her.
What perhaps more than anything else
contributed to the murder of the IN
fortunate sovereigns were AleXander's re
cent proclamations. by the first OF which
he suspended the Constitution and multi
fled a series of laws passed by the Skup-
shtina. placed the councillors Of state on
the retired list. and dissolved the Skup-
shthint. and by the second of which re-
stored the Constitution 10 fun validity.
The object of this coup d'etat was TO
purge the Senate. the council Of state. and
the Skupstina OF the racial element and 10
revoke the racial legislation OF the last
two years. Thus the law introducing the
ballot at elections which protected the
peasants from official pressure, and the
law establishing the liberty Of the press
were alike abolished
Alexander also issued DEGREES dis
missing ten judges the court Of cessa-
ton. Another decree announced the nom
ination of ten new judges and confirmed
foar former members of the court in
their places. \ similar purge was ap-
Pile dlo the court OF first instance. and
in this way the radical majority in the
judicature was transformed into a liberal
majority. The numerous enemies created
by these sweeping changes turned con-
spirators against the unpopular mon
archy.
king Alexander and Queen prasa lived
unhappily. and the scandalous stories Of
Disbursements ana intriEues Of their court
in1amed the people and probably FASTENED
The traSedv and overthrow of the govern
mout Draga was said 10 be the most
detesteG woman I'm Europe. At Il recent
royal reception the Queen did not ap-
pear and il leaked out through a dis
missed servant that her Majesty had
spent the two hours weeping is her bed
room. II was also noticed that on their
recent drives the King and Queen seldom
exchanged words.
According TO reports in the capital King
Alexander had plans for another matri-
mouial venture. He was quite willing 10
allow Draga a handsome iscome. allow
her to retain her tile of Queen" but
wished her to retire to a convent for
noble women.
Naturally this proposal did not appeal
10 the worldly woman. who brought al
her subtle influence To bear on the King,
Whether or not in her heart Queen Draga
felt that the power had slipped out of her
hands Is suddenly as il came into them.
The fact remains that she utilized that
authority TO its utmost Of late. and as 4
result more than one Servian grande
dame srnarted for ii.
De what he might. King Alexander
never succeeded in having his wife &C
oepted. even by his own people. 4 few