The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1909-12-17
ALL BRUSSELS
MOURN FOR THE
DEAD LEOPOLD
Body Lies in Death Chamber
Surrounded Only By Per-.
sonal Friends
STORY OF HIS LIFE ANO
SKETCH OF New s0vEsEIGM

Thrown, the Crown Passes to the
Son Of the Dead Kings Brother
New King Is Popular.
Brussels. Dec. 17.-All Brussels
mourns today. The flags on the pub
lie buildings are at half mast and the
private houses are draped with crepe.
The body of the king, clothed in the
uniform Of acknowledgement. re-
mains In the chamber of "'The Palms"
where death entered last night. 1t
is surrounded only by those who in
life had won and retained the kings
close friendship. The expression on
the dead monarch's face is peaceful
as though the end was painless. The
body will be placed in the coffin this
evening, when the period of mourning
will officially begin.
King Leopold died at 2:35 o'clock
this morning., his aged and wasted
body being unable to stand the strain
put upon 1t. The collapse occurred
suddenly and at q moment when the
doctors seemingly had had the great
est hopes for his recovery.
Throughout yesterday the bulletins
issued from the sick room indicated
progressive improvement. The bull
letin posted at $3.50 p. m. gave the
kings temperature, pulse an drespira-
finn oa v.ro ~ Hx, ,..r,rol A~ro~n~k
ly the drainage of the wound was
perfect, as no fever was present, and
during the day the king had been able
to take nourishment
His Life.
Leopold H., king of the Belgians,
son of the late King Leopold l., upon
whose deaths which occurred Dec. 10,
1876, he succeeded to the throne, was
zbornsEat Brussels, April 9, 1897. His
fath1f4 Was the former prince Of
Saxe-C -Coburg-G -Gotha, and his mother
Princess Louise, daughter of King
Louis Philippe of France. On Aug.
%, 1853. he married the Archduchess
Marie Henriette, daughter of Arch
duke Joseph of Austria She died
Sept. 10, 1902. There we're three
daughters born of this union. Louise,
Stephanie and Clementine.
The two elder princesses have been
estranged from their father, but Gle
mentine remained in his affections.
There being no direct hereditary
heir, the crown passes to Prince AL
bert, the only son of Leopold's broth
er, the late Philippe. Count of Flan-
ders. The new monarch was born
April 8, 1876, and on Oct. 2, 1900, mar
ried Princess Elizabeth of Bavaria.
They have three children, Prince Leo
pold, eight years old, Prince Charles,
Jose, who was born Aug. 4, 1906.
Prince Albert is one of the most
popular members of the reigning
house Of Belgium. His wife is equal
ly popular. their home life being such
as to attract the admiration and love
Of the. people. Prince Albert has
travelled extensively and is man of
affairs. In appearance he is striking
ly like the king but their dispositions
and temperaments have always been
In marked contrast. Prince Albert has
been a great student of politics and
economics and has frequently lectured
on these, subjects in public. To
broaden his grasp of the affairs of
the world he visited the United States
and other countries always studying
and always adding to his store of
knowledge and philosophy.
While always conspicuous before
the public on account of the nature
of his private life, particularly In
recent years. King leopold has lat
terly had much of the world against
him on account of his attitude toward
the Congo independent state. His
great interest lay in the development
CT that country, for he was practical
ly the founder of it and was it's ruling
sovereign.
King Leopold was looked upon as
one of the shrewdest and ablest men
of the time. He was essentially q
man of business, cold, reticent and
calculating.
MOrganatic Wife.
Baroness Vaughan. who is said to
have been the king morganatic wife,
occupies q chateau close to the pavil-
ion where Leopold died. The baroness
is the daughter Of parents of the name
OF Delacrolx, who were concierges, or
janitors. She is the mother Of two
children. King Leopold spent great
deal of his time with the baroness and
gave his ministers much concern on
this account. At one time there was
talk of his abdication, but as months
went by his subjects apparently be-
came accustomed to his ways and alb
dication became thing Of the past.
King Leopold's recent illness dated
from. about two weeks ago, when he
was compelled to take to his bed suf-
iering with rheumatism. It was
thought nt the time that he had a
stroke of apoplexy for he was par
,lyzed on one side and the paralysis
seemingly spread over the entire. body.
Eis confinement brought about intes-
::!nal obstruet ton. for which an opera