The Tupelo journal., 1903-06-19
The Bodies of King Alexander and
Queen Draga Inferred in
the Family Vault.
AT ANY RATE, so SAYS ONE ACCOUNT.
Says They, Together With
Their Murdered Relatives and
Members of the Ministry, Were
IgnOminfousIy Buried in a Large
Pit at RakOvfca.


who, with their ministers, were assas-
sinated Wednesday, have been buried
The interment took place at night.
One account says the bodies were
placed in the Obrenovitch family vault
and other says they were buried in a
large pit aug in the village OF Ra-
kovica, and that as a mark of ig-
nominy the bodies of their murdered
relatives and those of the ministry
killed were placed above them and
then the common grave was filled
with earth.
Revolving story in Detail.
The following is a narrative of the
revolution, given by men who took an
active part in it:
Army officers to the number of 80,
having formed a project of a revolt,
among them being delegates from al
most every garrison in Servia and the
majority of officers of the Sixth regi-
ment, Lieut.-Col. Maschin invited
his comrades, on Wednesday evening
at IL o'clock, to meet in the Kalimag-
den garden, and there the immediate
carrying out of the intended deed was
organized. At 1:40 a. m. the officers,
in eight groups, went to the k~onak,the
royal palace. Each had a cue and es-
pecial directions regarding his part in
the revolution. In the palace itself
the revolutionaries had two important
ok;eo,. - A. 1inrtr n1yu11oy I'd
Col. Alexander Maschin, Queen ORA
gas cousin, not brother-in-law, and
the kings personal adjutant, Lieut..
Naumovics.
The Appointed Hour.
Two officers of the high military
academy appeared at the appointed
hour, 2 a. M, at the gate of the konak,
where the kings adjutant, Panajoto-
vic, who was in the conspiracy, hand
ed them the keys to the garden gate,
which is always kept locked. First,
stepping before the guard at the
konak, one of the two officers called
Throw down your arms" A fight
ensued, with shots from both sides,
in which several persons were wound
ed. The revolutionists then entered
the front garden entrance and
reached the courtyard of the old
konak, where Lieut.. Naumovics was
awaiting. He opened the lock of the
iron door leading to the front room
on the first floor. By this time it was
seen that the konak was carefully
closed and that danger was suspected.
Royal Couples First Alarm.
Hurrying up stairs to the first floor
the revolving officers attracted the at
tention of the palace attendants, and
the royal couple by the noise of the
shooting. Lieut.. Lavar P%etrovitch,
alarmed by the unwonted hubbub,
hurried forward with a drawn re-
volver in one hand, and in the other
a sword.
"What do you want?" he cried.
"Show us where the king and queen
are" came the reply.
Back" cried Petrovitch, and at the
same moment a ball stretched him on
the ground. The revolutionaries
pressed forward, when suddenly the
electric light gave out. All stood in
darkness. In the greatest excitement,
and feeling their way, the revolution
aries climbed the stairs and got into
the dark ante-room to the kings
apartment. Here they found candles
and lit them.
Search Made With Candles.
This seemingly slight circumstance
was decisive to the whole action. With
out the light they could not have
found the victims, who fled from their
sleeping apartment through corridors
and numerous rooms, and might have
escaped, but part of the officers with
burning candles and others with pis-
tolls, commenced to search for the
royal couple. In b%reathless haste the
conspirators a through the rooms,
opened wardrobes and looked behind
curtains in vain. In the ante-room
connecting with the corridor between
the old and new konak the sergeant
of the ~gendarmes was sleeping. Awak-
ening, he stepped before the revolu-
tionaries, who felled him.
At last Queen Draga's servant was
found. He wounded Capt. Dimitevic
severely, but he was spared because
he was needed in finding the fleeing
couple. Indeed, this servant showed
the officers where King Alexander and
Queen Draga had gone to s~ecrete
themselves. When he had told this
he was shot.
King and Queen I'm a Closet.
Col. Maschin now joined the revolu-
tionaries, and led them back to the
sleeping apartment, where the kings
a%djutant tried to hinder the search.
He shot Lieut.. Naumovics, who fell
dead. The others killed the adjutant.
After a long search, a small door
leading into the alcove was discov-
cred, but it was found locked. 1t was
broken in with an ak, and here the
royal couple were found in undress.
The older officers first intended fore
ing the king to abdicate, but the
young officers were in no mood to be
held back, and shot at the royal
couple. Nobody knows in the excite
ment who shot first, but it is general
ly said it was Lieut.. Kistics.
Draga,s Body Badly Torn.
After the murder, King Alexander's
body was found entirely covered with
blood. That of Queen Draga was
badly torn by bullets. The report
that the bodies were thrown out of
the window into the garden is un-
true. The young officers intended to
do so, but Col. Maschin prevented it,