Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-06-12
PARIS is STARTLED
BY the Terrible Death Of Alexandra and
Draga.

Paris, June 1.-THE startling an
nouncement of the assassination of the
King and Queen of Servia caused a
deep sensation here, particularly in
government circles. The foreign office
received early advices from the French
minister at Belgrade confirming the
Belgrade press dispatches, and adding
that the city was comparatively quiet,
Thursday morning, the people seeming
to accept the proclamation of Prince
karag as King. Foreign Minister Del
caase communicated his advices to
Pres. Loubet.
Officers of the foreign office say it is
too soon to indicate clearly the effect
of the situation in Servia on the Euro
pean situation. Servian dynastic trou-
bles have been long impending, the
present uprising being due to the ami
mosities growing out of the propagan-
da of the pretender Karageorgvitch. 1t
is recalled that when the Karageorg-
witch dynasty secured brief rule in 1858,
the European powers interviewed and
established a protectorate and this ter
minated that dynasty. Whether there
wifi be similar action of the powers at
this time officials are unwilling to pre-
dict saying the shock of the tradedies
is chiefly occupying their attention.
1t Is generally believed that the as
sassinations are the sequel of the
Kings coup d'etat two months ago
suiting in the disgrace and retirement
of a number Of senators and leading
officials.
Prince Peter Karageorgevitch was a
member Of the fashionable diplomatic
set of Paris, and included among his
acquaintance a number of Americans.
He is described as having an agreeable
personality, is about so years old, has
been a frequenter of the leading clubs
and hotels, and was a well-knoWn fig
ura at the races and sports. The prince
was educated at the st. Cyr Military
College and entered the French army
in 1870 with the rank of captain.
Former Queen Natalie, mother of the
late King Alexander, Is living at the
Hotel Reservoir, Versailles.
The former Queen had broken off all
relations with the late King Alexander
since the later's marriage to the late
Queen Draga, who was formerly Queen
Natalie's lady-in-waiting. 1t was at
Queen Natalie's BiarritZ home that the
late King first met Queen Draga, then
Madame Maschin.
Prince Bodijar Karageorgevitch does
not mix up in politics. He is well
known in artistic circles and creates
tasteful cabinets and articles of stamp
ed leather. He told n Temps reporter
that Re did not hesitate to declare that
he considered Queen Draga to have
been the cause of the assassinatiOns.
On becoming Queen she made herself
first feared and then hated. She brut-
ally revenged herself for the slightest
offences and pitilessly crushed high or
low who had the misfortune to dis
please her. The late King was only
tool in the hands of this bold domi-
neering woman. He was so weak mind
ed that a doctor who attended him at
Biarritz declared that if he had been
Frenchman he would have been declar-
ed intellectually unfit for military ser
vice.
Prince Rodijar added: "The youthful
sovereign was the victim of the merited
unpopularity of his conSort. He could
not resist her. His culpable weakness
destroyed him. Moreover, whose
| draws the sword shall perish by the
sword My family has been tried to
the utmost. My grandfather was as
sassinatcd and II of my relatives have
| been executed without trial, while
Others were tortured. Such crimes
| must be cxpiatcd sooner or later"