The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-06-19

been prepared for them in the palace.
| After issuing the proclamation, and
long before daybreak, the King proceed
ed to the barracks, where the troops
were under arms, and was received with
Joyous acclamations and many express
sions of loyalty.
! In the year 1900 King Alexander start.
ed on tour of Europe in search of a
bride. He visited all the courts of Eu.
rope. His experiences were highly dis
couraging. He saw the King of the Bel.
gians and was coldly but politely in
formed that he need not look for wife
| there.
| The King even attempted to secure a
rich American BRIDE but his efforts in
F.. this direction were as futile as they had
been everywhere else.
| 1t is at this point in the reign of King
Alexander that the woman Draga Ma
schin entererd the history of Servia and
began the career of petty intrigue that
ended with her assassination.
Draga Maschin years before had made
| Alexander her slave. She was volup-
tuary and he a degenerate. She ruled
his life absolutely, and he was only too
willing to make her Queen of Servia.
Alexander assembled his ministers and
announced that he proposed to marry
Draga Maschin. He printed the an
nouncement in the official gazette. 1t
raised storm in the country. The cab
iret ministers protested violently. They
told the King the consequences of his act
might ruin the dynasty.
| 81 am the King" said Alexander
proudly, 'and l can marry whom
please. Attend TO your duties and do
not NEEDLE with my private affairs"
| With that he dismissed them. They
went away and resigned in body.
| Ex-King Milan, who was then gen.
eral in the Servian army, was at Carls.
bad taking the waters for his hopeless
liver when he heard of his sons deter
mination. He Immediately started for
Servia, swearing that he would prevent
his son from marrying at all costs. He
had a large following in the army and
might have caused trouble King Alex
ander ordered him to be stopped at the
frontier. Ex-King Milan resigned his
command in the Servian army. At the
same time his mother, Queen Natalie
cut Alexander out of her will and left
her large fortune to the church.
| From the day of his marriage to
iQueen Draga King Alexander rapidly
fell in the estimation of his people. The
door of every royal house in Europe was
closed in his face.
| Alexander was the last of the Obreno
witch family, and his union with Queer
Draga was childless. ,Draga attempted
to secure the succession of the throne tt
her brother. That was the beginning Of
the end. Alexander's life, that of his
Queen, his ministers and his household
went out in the final tragedy in the
lralace of Belgrade, and the dynasty Of
the Obrnovitch was extinct forever.
Draga was at Biarritz with Queer
Natalie when King Alexander first saw
her. That was seven years ago; he was
seventeen and she was well into her thir
ties, widow and an experienced woman
of the world, of whom the gossips had
much to say. When he entered the room
to greet his mother he encountered the
flashing dark eyes of the fascinating
lady in waiting staring boldly and steadi
Ily at him. He saw nothing in the room
but those eyes, paid attention to no one
but Draga, and upon that day he became
her willing slave ever after.
4 When she returned to Belgrade from
Biarritz a few months later her power
over the boy king was already recogniz
ed. Queen Natalie. allowed it, mindful
of Russia. Milan fostered it, delighted
at the prospect of knowing his sons
movements through such trusty sourc,