Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1903-06-18
The Tragedy at Belgrade.

Over in southeastern Europe lying
between Austria and Turkey, are sever
al small states that Americans know
but little of Their names on the map
are Montenegro. Sevria, Roumania and
Bulgaria. Montenegro appears to be
all mountains, and borders on the Ad-
ratio; Servia is state OF about 20 OOo
square miles, with two millions of pop
ulation, bounded bv the Danube river
and branch of it named Save on the
north. and by Turkey on the south
while Roumania and Bulgaria are
larger states to the eastward, divided
by the lower Danube. The Balkan
mountain range is in Southern Servia
and runs through Bulgaria to the Black
Sea.
Northern Servia. the part along the
rivers is fertile and produces wheat.
corn, rice, tobacco, hemp, etc. while in
the southern or hilly country immense
herds of cattle and pigs are raised for
the European market The country
1
has no manufactures, the people are OF
Slavonic origin, belong to the
Greek church. and are mostly farmers.
The government of Servia is a limited
monarchy; there is King and lot OF
ministers; but the laws are made by a
small legislative assembly called the
Skupshtina.
As usual, also there are different
branches of the royal family, all jealous
and distrustful of each other, and each
| coveting the throne, which for some
years has been held by the Obrenovitch
| branch King Milan of this branch
was such notorious rascal that he was
compelled to abdicate the throne, some
years ago, in favor of his son, then q
mere boy, with his Queen, Natalie. the
boys mother, as regent.
! Queen Natalie did well, and every
thing was serene until a woman named
Draga, wife of man named Maschln
obtained complete control of the boy
then aged II, and induced him to over
thrown the regency of his mother and
declare himself King, and a few years
later, when he was "a and she about A
to marry her.
This disgusted the people, and the ac
tions of the royal couple since have
continued to outrage their sensibilitles
The army took the matter up, and the
officers plotted to send the woman on,
of the country. At given signal, last
Thursday night, troops surrounded the
palace in Belgrade, broke into it and de
manded of the young King that he slgr
paper to that effect or abdicate. de
replied with shot that killed the officer
who presented the paper. whereupor
the officers and men present killed hin
and Draga, her two brothers, and othel
relatives and ministers, thereby wipiDe
out thee entire Obrenovitch branch OF
the family, excepting ex-Queen Natalie
who is an exile.
| The officers of the army then pro
claimed Prince Kara-georgeyitch (ol
Black Georges SOM a descendent Of
Black Michael. of another branch of the
family to be King, if the Skupshtins
would agree. Prince Kara has alsC
been an exile, and has been living quiet
ly with his family for some years IL
Switzerland,
The dead King and Queen and theil
friends were buried quietly next day
while the Colonel that the King killed
was given a military funeral the peo
pie took the affair very quietly, as thi:
was not the first time their government
had been changed by assassination
The encyclopedia says the Servian!
are strong well-built and handsome
people