The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-12-17
Funeral Wednesday Will Be
Followed Thursday by
Albert'S Accession.
HEART EMBOLISM
CAUSE OF DEATH
End Came on Forty-fourth Ami
versary of His Formal
Accession.

BRUSSELS. Dec. 1.-THE funeral Of
King Leopold. who died at 2.s5 this
morning. viii take place next wed
nesday. Prince Albert VIII take the
oath OF office as King on the follow
ing day.
The public feeling against Leopold. IN
! tensihed by the disclosure OF his mar
riage in 1908 10 Baroness Vaughan,
found vent today in demonstration
against the baroness by a mob outside
the Laeken palace.
The mob jeared and hOoted the baron
ess and displayed such an ugly temper
7 that police FASTENED 10 the palace TO
protect her against violence.
Guard Body
Officers with drawn swords guard the
body Of the King. pending its removal
TO the palace in the city proper The
body lies in state, dressed in a generals
uniform, with a sword across the
breast.
/ Only the family, ministers. diplomats,
and newspaper men have as yet been
/ permitted TO see the body. The pub
lie will be admitted later
( The Official Monitor announces today
that pending Prince Aibert's assumption
OF the throne, 10 succeed King Leopold,
who Gied at 2:s5 this morning. the affairs
Of Belgium viii be administered by a re-
gency. consisting Of the council OF min
listers.
Physicians Statement.
DR.. Thiriar. chief physician to Leo
poId, issued the following statement
today:
king LeopoId's death was due to
embolism Of the heart. We were most
I apprehensiye when We operated upon
him because we were aware OF his
heart disease, but the operation was
! absolutely necessary TO prevent terrible
/ suffering. Thanks to the operation. the
/ Kings death was painless
Leopold's death occurred on the
/ forty-fourth anniversary OF his formal
/ accession to the throne. though his
kingship dated from December 10, 1855.
Belgium is officially in mourning for
her dead King and all Belgian papers
appeared today with black bordsrs
weeps Over Body.
The Princess Stephanle, now the
Countess LOnyay. arrived in the death
room twenty minutes after the King
died. She kissed his Hfeless lips and
wept bitterly over the body.
/
few moments with him while he was
yet alive" she sObbed. The princess
remained on her knees at the bedside
for nearly half an hour when the ply
sicians led her away.
Prince Albert. who viii shortly take
ND the fallen scepter, and the Countess
OF Flanders, also arrived after the
King had died.
Leopold's death followed quickly upon
the strongest rally he had made since
he was operated on Wednesday. This
rally gave the physicians the first real
hope Of the day and at 1912 last night
they issued an official statement that
the Kings condition was most encOur-
aging.
The aged monarch shared in this op-
t{misn and during the evening he dis
cuSsed with his physicians the best
place for him 20 go TO recuperate. He
1 seemed so certain Of his ultimate re
covery that he was planning 20 have a
/ conference today with several Of HIS
ministers At times Leopold grew al
most boastful about his great strength
and once remarked that there were few
men OF his age. seventy-four. who could
go through with what he had.
Vitality Undermined.
The Kings vitality had. however.
been undermined in a far greater meas
ure than he understood Toward mid
night he fell into light sleep. At 3:20
one of the nuns who had been nursing
him heard a groan from the King. She
hastily summoned DR.. Thiriar, who was
asleep in an adjoining room As DR..
Thiriar entered the royal chamber.
| ] .eopCld recognized him and cried out:
/ IT am choking
DR.. Thiriar gave Leopold an injection
of morphia, the only effect OF which
was to ease his last moments. death
. ensuing ten minutes after the drug was
administered The only persons present
AT the time of death were Drs- Thiriar
and Depage, two priests, and the Bar
oness Vaughan The latter was greatly
moved and begged the unconscious mon
arch TO speak a last word 10 her.
As soon as II was announced LnaL
I IeopoId was dead, there ives a rush 70
THE Palms" Of the ministers OF state
and the Kings relatives. Baron Gof-
/ fnet the Kings private secretary. was
/ one of the first 10 arrive II was hts
duty 70 notify the royal family of Leo
pOlds death.
The confirmation OF the report that
I Leopold secretly weSded the Baroness
Vaughan greatly com7llcates Leopold's