The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1903-06-17
A Bloody Assassination Of King Alex
ander, Queen Draga, the Latter's
Sister, the Queens Brother,
and Members Of Royal Guard.
Prince Peter Karageorgeyitch
Made King.


King Alexander, Queen Draga, the
latter's sister, the Queens brother,
Nikodem; Premier Markovitch, Min
listers Petrovitch and Tudorovics, Gen.
Pavlovitch, the former minister OF
war, and some of the members of the
royal guard. Prince Karageorgevitch
was proclaimed King.
A new Government was formed and
the following proclamation issued:
ssTo the Servian People: Last night
the King and Queen we're shot. In
this grave and fateful moment friends
OF the fatherland have combined to
form a new Government. While. the
Government makes this announcement
to the people it is convinced that the
Servian people will gather round it
and lend it their aid to maintain order
and security throughout the land.
"The Government hereby makes
known that from today the Constitu-
tion of April 6, 1901, comes in force.
A meeting of the National representa-
tiyes, dissolved by the proclamation
of March "a, is summoned to meet at
Belgrade, June is.
Signed: 'Jovan Avakumovics, Pre-
mier; L. Jubonur Kalievics, Foreign
Minister; Stoian Protics, Minister of
the Interior: George Genshics, Minis
ter Of Commerce; Gen. Joryan Alanaz-
kovics, Minister of War: Voiilav Veil
kovics, Minister of Finance; Col.
Alexander Machin, Minister Of Pub
lie Works; L. Jubomir Schiokovics,
Minister of Justice. -
The streets are thronged with peo-
pie, whose actions seem to approve
the coup d'etat, NJ. Protics, the new
minister of the interior, was loudly
cheered as he drove tc the ministry.
M. Avakumovics, the new premier,
belongs to the Independent Liberal
party.
AS the morning advanced the excite
ment in the streets grew steadily. In
spite of the pouring rain thousands
of people gathered in the vicinity of
the palace. Everywhere troops of all
arms were posted and field guns were
placed in position to deal quickly with
any opposition to the newly-formed
Governments will. The soldiers dis
carded their cockades bearing the late
King Alexander's cipher and substi-
tuted for it flowers, green twigs and
leaves.
Bands of young men paraded the
streets, waving flags and shouting
"Long live Karagorgevitch ~ Flags
are flying from nearly every house in
Belgrade and there is absolutely no
display whatever of Grape Or other
signs of mourning.
The royal standard has been lowered
from over the palace. Reports from
places outside Belgrade indicate that
| the country accepts the disappearance
of the Obrenotvitch dynasty without
regret.
According to the best available in
formation obtainable from the mass of
contradictions, the crime was carried
out by members of the 9Th infantry,
under the command of Coils. Mischich
and Machin. The latter is a brother
in law of the Queen Draga and is
minister of public work in the new
Cabinet. The soldiers appear to
have fought their way into the palace.
shooting down the aide de camp on
duty, Col. Naumovics, although ac-
| cording to another version the King
shot Naumovics because he opened
the gate to his assailants, thereby
creating suspicion of his conni-
vance. Some of the other persons
killed were surprised in their houses
simultaneously with the attack on the
palace. The remains Of King Alexan-
der will probably be buried at the
convent of Rakovza. The other bodies
wilt be inferred in the local cemetery.
Berlin, June IA dispatch from
Semlin, Hungary, to the National
Zeitung gives an interesting ve-sion
of the events at Belgrade. Itsays
A party Of officers proceeded to the
palace by previous arrangement with
Gen. L. Jubasivkovics and called upon
King Alexander to abdicate in favor
of Prince Peter Karageorgevitch. The
King refused and shot Col. Naumo-
vics, who made the proposal. The
other officers thereupon summoned the
war minister, Gen. Paylovitch, and
Tudorovics, the minister of the inte-
rior, and shot the King and Queen
and Petrovics, one Of the Kings aide
de camps. and other royal officers.
The leader of the actual assailants was
Lieut.. Col. Mischich, who himself
murdered the Queen. The latter, to-
gerher with her brother and sister,
was struck down with an axe. The
Queen died Immediately. The King
lived few minutes.
"The immediate cause of the revo-
luton was the return to Belgrade of
Lieut.. Lungievitza, brother of the
Queen, and supposed candidate for
the throne. The surviving ministers
have been arrested The obsequies of
the King and Queen will be held June
IA. A festal illumination of Belgrade
is projected for this evening"
The dispatch concludes with stating
that intense JOY prevails at Belgrade.
The German Government cannot be
said to have taken up any attitude as
yet regarding the provisional admins
tration of Servia. Horror was express
ed at the foreign Office at the bloody
coup d'etat The immediate feeling is
one of antagonism to the new minis
/ try and there is an indisposition to
make its path easy. The foreign Office
for the present is simply waiting full
inflammation from IFS laoatjOn at Bel