The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-07-12

finely worked portrait of King A~lexander's
beautiful consort. A little cupboard and q
furniture OF this apartment, which con-
tains a number OF King Alexander's por-
traits and one of the Metropolitan Arch
bishop OF Servia. The walls are covered
with silken bronze-colored panels. Several
valuable ancient miniatures and enameleo
pictures bear unmistakable traces OF nav
Ing been wantonly damaged, so that the
hgures are In SOM cases hardly rscognlI-
able. The door which leads from the bou-
doir to the royal bed chamber tells It's
tale OF the violence used by the conspira-
tors to penetrate TO the King The im-
preston one receives on entering Is ex-
tremely favorable. The prevailing color Is
a delicate rose. and the light. which enters
from only one large window, is mellow.
The furniture is elegant, adequate, and In
no respect superfiuous. In the center or
the chamber stands a remarkably hand
some bed in the style OF Louis QuinZe, with
Vernis-Martin paintings. 1t is not the
largest form of double bed. and at the foot
stands an. easy couch. Under a crimson
baldaquin. on the walls, on the bedstead, on
a little light table, hang or stand images
of the Virgin Mary, Saint Alexander and
various other saints in the Byzantine style.
1 have often seen such images. which are
always placed I'm the bed chamber by mem
bers or the Orthodox Church, in the East,
but never before have l noticed such a
large collection. The King and Queen were
obviously penetrated with a spirit OF plety,
as II IL understood in the East, and trust
fully relied on supernatural power for pro-
lection in difficulties. A pretty little time
piece lay on the Queens night table, to-
gether with a number OF images OF saints.
On her toilet table. which stood by the
wall opposite the window. are a consider
able number of books, note books, pencils,
and pens. The note books have all their
written leaves torn out. l examined the
printed works and found mainly French
novels, among which are works by Arsene
Houssaye in several volumes. and a mover
entitled lie Marriage de Gertrude" There
was also a little Servian almanac, with
NJ y hare nnd tharo On tho OnnOSlf1
side OF the roomsstands the Queens larger
toilet table, with a washing stand. five
pairs of curling tongs and a small appa-
ratus for heating them; bottles or per-
fumes, and toilet waters of French origin.
1t is impossible to describe the perfumes,
because they had all been poured into spray
bottles. On the Kings night table are holy
images a miniature timepiece, and a note
book.
On his toilet table. are the usual articles
of toilet and one volume, Prof. NigorouxS
well-known work, La Bible ct les Decou-
vertes Modernes," a picture book for chill
dren, and a few humorous Illustrated post
cards. The entire apartment. as well as all
the other chambers in which the royal
couple dwelt, gives a favorable idea of their
taste, and a fairly correct notion of their
financial means. They are suggestive OF q
house fitted up by an educated, wealthy
French bourgeois family, which can freely
indulge It's tastes but cannot afford TO pur-
chase rare works of art, antique statues or
costly Gobelins. All those other details of
the palace interior which betray the deli
cate hand Of women speak eloquently OF
Queen Draga's overmastering desire to
| maintain the affection of her husband. In
dec, a stranger who should visit the Royal
Konak without knowing in whose house he
found himself would never dream that he
| was in a Kings palace, but might we'll feel
tempted to characterize the dwelling as the
buen retro of an enamored couple. And.
In truth, during the last period of the reign
Alexander was less King of Servia than the
enchanted co1sort of Queen Draga.
WHERE THE COUPLE WAS KILLED.
| On each night table stands a candle, by
| the light of which the King and Queen were
wont to read in bed, for the electric light,
which consists of four ordinary fittings,
| hangs from the center of the room, and is
| therefore at the foot of the bed. One of
these glass pears and globes is shattered,
and a fine miniature enamel portrait OF
King Alexander is damaged. The curtains
before the window were torn by the King
or Queen when wildly calling for help. and
bloodstains warrant the conjecture that the
| fingers of the monarch were cut by the
window glass. The door behind the bed
to the side opens into a bright little bath
room, three steps descending to the bath.
| Further on are two rooms leading one into
l the other, which Queen Draga employed as
wardrobes, and are furnished with cup
boards and chests of drawers. Another
door in the bedroom, exactly opposite the
bed, leads TO a quite tiny apartment used
by the Queen as a wardrobe. Hanging
from a movable clothesstand 1 noticed a
white nightgown with delicate lace, a lilac
colored peisnoir. blue and yellow silk. skirts.
and a few other articles of apparel. The
room Is long and narrow, and at the eX-
treme left end Is the window where the Ill
starred couple were caught as in a trap.
They might, indeed, had the revolution
occurred during King Milan's reign, have
escaped, at least for a time, because at the
extreme opposite end of the place where
the murders. were committed there is a graf
ing I'm the floor. This was a door leading
to a secret staircase, whereby King Milan
intended, in case of a night attack, to
escape TO the subterranean cellars. But
the grating was permanently closed by
order of King Alexander when he assembled
the throne. From the corridor which joins
the two wardrobe rooms there is another
door through which Lazar Petrovitch led
the conspirators into those cellars in the
hope of saving his royal master. The spot
where the royal couple were killed still
bear the bloodstains, which are not yet
effaced.
When 1 descended into the palace garden
/ met an officer who was on service in
the palace on the memorable night, and
with whom l had a most interesting con-
versation, together with some colleagues.
He is a low-sized. vulgar-looking man, with
sunburnt skin and cleaning, furtive eyes.
We asked him whether he could give us
details of the death of the King and Queen.
He replied:
Certainly, that 1 can. because 1 myself
had an active part in IL. My name is
Il NOIISld III Il iii oil OJdtcA1Ns olt
was attached TO the palace guard on the
night of June 10. / am the officer who,
when the electric lights were turned off
in the apartments of the palace, vol
urteered TO fetch a candle to light my col
leagues. Having done this / took part
in putting the King and Queen to death,
accompanying my comrades into the bed
room and then into a narrow little apart
ment serving as the Queens wardrobe.
We were terribly excited. and hardly knew
how we killed the two. What L do recollect
is that when We discovered them We drew
our sabres and hewed off the fingers of
the King and Queen. The King had only
a thumb left; L don't know how many
fingers were cut off the Queens hands.
But the whole thing was the work of a
few seconds, for We then leveled our re-
volvers and fired"
fThis officer further Informed us that sew
eral days previously the King had received
an anonymous letter warning him that he
was lost, and containing the following pas
sage: Serious events are being prepared,
which will lead to your destruction, but
there is still one chance of effectual es-
/ oaDa non't naglppt IL while tbera iS still