Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-06-12

restless country like Servia. his love VI
pleasure his low tastes, reckless extrava-
gance and selfish disposition were his ruin.
He squandered the public money and lost
his private fortune at cards.
Record Of Milan.
His wife, Natalie Keskho. daughter Of a
colonel in the Russian army. was compelled
to leave him, and was finally granted a
divorce. Their domestic troubles and the
scandals Of the Servian court for twenty
years during the reign of King Milan fur
nished gossip for all Europe. Finally. ener-
waited by dissipation. and despised by MS
subjects and all decent people, he abdtcateo
in 1889 in favor Of his son Alexander. 1ao
of thirteen-the king who was killed last
night.
This precocious youth. when not more
than fifteen years old. fell under the fas-
cination of Nine. Draga Maschin. who had
been a lady in waiting to his mother. She
was an ambitious and brilliant woman
gifted with considerable beauty, and the
daughter of a cattle dealer in Belgrade
named Lunjevitza. When only seventeen
years of age she married Colonel Maschin
of the Servian army, who obtained a d.
vorce from her because of her scandalous
relations with the young king. which be-
gan when he was a mere boy, and since
that time she resided in the palace and
absolutely controlled him.
Power Of Draga.
The Dowager Queen Natalie again and
again attempted to bring the boy to his
senses and break off the relations, but
Nine. Draga had more influence than the
mother, and actually compelled the latter
to leave the palace and the kingdom OF
Servia. Natalie is now residing at Barr1tZ,
very much respected and beloved, although
she made herself very unhappy and excited
the hostility of the Servian politicians by
her sympathy with Russia and her desire
to bring Servia within the Russian inf1u-
ence. Whatever may have been said of her
imprudence, her character was never queS-
toned.
Draga was naturally anxious to share the
throne with her youthful paramount, al
though she was nearly twice his age, but
her aspirations were stubbornly opposed by
the ministers of state and the leading poll
ticians of Servia.
During his minority Prince Alexander
ruled the country through three regents,
all venerab BILE and patriotic men, and 1t be-
came necessary for Draga to get rid OF
them for her own safety and the success
of her schemes. She found the young king
a willing tool and one night. when he was
only seventeen years old, he invited the re-
gents to dine at the palace.
While they sat at dinner they were ar
rested upon a charge of treason and thrown
into prison. while Alexander proclaimed
himself king. This coup detat was success
full, for the army admired the audacity OF
the youngster and sustained him. He then
married his mistress, and she has been the
most interesting figure in Servian politics.
Alexander a Degenerate.
King Alexander was a degenerate. He
looked as If he had escaped from an asy-
lum for the depraved, but was by no means
feeble of mind or body On the contrary,
he had a vigorous constitution. and on two
or three occasions showed a nerve and
power of command which would do credit
to great general.
, Unfortunately he inherited the depravity
of his father, the late King Milan, who was
probably the worst ruler Europe has seen
for a generation, but at the same time the
son possessed a physical and moral courage
that Milan never displayed
Draga MaSchin reached the throne by q
series of intrigues more sensational than
have ever occurred outside Of literature and
yet she was not happy, for both she and
her youthful husband were boycotted by all
the courts of Europe because of vulgar
comedy by which she reached the throne.
And Queen Victoria was so Disguised that
she wanted to emphasize her disapproval
by Withdraw wing the British minister There
have been good many scandals in royal
families, as every one knows, but there
has been nothing for generations so nasty
as that of Servia.
Married to Draga.
In order to compel Alexander to marry
clan, whom she brought from Paris, to
convince her princely paramour that she
was about to give birth to child and
the young king, being anxious for an heir
to the throne, married his mistress on Au-
gust 5, 1900. He was then twenty-four
years old and she was thirty-three.
There was great dissatisfaction through
out the entire country. The people, who
felt that their king had disgraced them as
well as himself, started a revolution for
the purpose Of placing Peter Karageorge-
witch, the man who was proclaimed today,
upon the throne; but young Alexander act
ed with great courage and Sagacity. He
succeeded in suppressing the insurrection.
In reconciling the parliament and the people
to his marriage, and for several years
things moved along smoothly until the lack
OF an heir to the throne began to excite
the politicians, and the conspiracies have
since been more frequent than ever.
The constitution of Servia requires that
the king shall nominate his successor if no
natural heir to the throne appears within
five years after his marriage and the five
years having passed. in 1895 conspiracy
began in which the surrounding nations
took a part. The Russian influence pre-
dominated and negotiations have been in
progress for several years between the
Servian minister of foreign affairs and the
head of the foreign office at st. Petersburg
Queen Draga desired her brother a young
lieutenant in the Servian army, to be pro-
and the parliament refused There was q
sensational scene at the palace when her
plan was disclosed. The boys name was
Oikodem LunfevitZa. and he Is said to have
been a reputable young fellow and a good
soldier. about twenty-four years of age
But he had no claims upon the throne and
nobody wanted him to be king exceSt his
sister. whom the people thought had al
ready received more consideration than she
was entitled to.
At first nobody believed the story that
f1oated out from some mysterious quarter
that Alexander intended to adopt his BROTH
er-in-law as his son and name him as the
future King of Servia. because 1t was go
audacious to be Incredible; but within
q few days the confirmation was abundant
The king expressed his intention to three
or four different persons
Trick Of Alexander.
Then the ministry took up the matter and
decided. after long and serious consulta-
ton. that 1t would be an act of duty and
patriotism to Immediately check the am
billions of their queen. Therefore the en-
tire cabinet. with Mr.. Vuitsch. prime min
lister. at their head. called at the palace at
an unusual hour and asked for an audience
Alexander must have suspected the pur-
pose of their visit for after keeping them
waiting for fifteen or twenty minutes he
appeared In full unifor mas commander-in
chief of the Servian army, with his wife
upon his arm. Advancing a few steps