The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-12-14
LOSING IN
| FIGHT WITH DEATH
Virtually No Hope That Aged
Monarch of Belgium Can
Long Survive.
PATHETIC ENDING OF
A SPECTACULAR CAREER
Of Brilliant Mind, but Long In
yolved in Scandal That Has 8
Aroused World.

NJ. ton of King Leopold was uu :
*. changed.
!: r r.
Y BRUSSELS. Dec 13.-Leonold IL,
king Of Belgium, tonight is making Il
,fdespcrate fight with death and the
odds arc strongly against the aged mon
arch.
AS a last resort The surgeon g knife
tuiu he tried tomorrow. If the operation
Is. successful. King Leopold may I'VE
III it fails the end is inevitable.
All will depend upon the king 5
'strength and vitality, which are ebbinS
Hast.
.f Rheumatism has already conquered
|fhe aged and wasted frame, DroPsy
has developed, and an obstruction 2i the
intestines, which must be removed, mas
greatly aggravated his condition.
May Die Any Moment.
The general opinion is that tho king
'Will not survive the operation. In
decd. he may die al any moment. The
monarch is rather optimistic, and today
Exclaimed to his physician:
N "Opcratc, and the. sooner the bct-
Itcrl"
But he added, with wan, wistful
smile:
"Perhaps, doctor, the long. long jour
Iney is at hand,
King Leopold is still as lucid Of in
ttellect as ever. This mastcriul mind,
which conceived and carried out the
Icicantic Congo project and reused thee
whole world into bitter Indictment ana
iIdiscussiou. calmly directed what seems
10 be he final chapter in his spectacular
icsreer.
Ending Is Pathetic.
n The picture was pathetic enough,
separated from his two eldest daugn-
tiers by a tragic Skcln of e,yents' win
scandal Of his own personal life wins
Ipered hy every tongue, Leopold lay
tfonight ''in the palma a liti lc pavli'
Bon Of six rooms, close 70 the great
Lackcn, attended by his faithful dangh.
ter. Princess Clemcntinc, Crown Prince
Albert and the royal household
NJ The castle is empty, for the king has
sold ell the furniture. dismissed the
fscrvants and withdrawn TO the pavilion
mot far from the chateau, where is the
Homo Of his intimate friend, Baroness
Vaughan. The day was mixture of
anxiety. hope and despair. As his
}streugtb failed, the king whispered to
his chaplain. and ihc aged priest. with
Tears yelling his cheeks. approached the
bed and heard the king 5 confession aud
Administered communion and extreme
JUNCTION,
Settles Earthly Affairs.
i -Iu the morning tho king, assisted
by notary and solicitors, settled his
'iprlvatc affairs. He discussed points IN
his Will with perfect composure. IN
THE afternoon he took farewell of thc
court officials To Count OultrcmOnt,
M bo1 Of 4I,. hi. mn -. 4II.
"lou have served me well for more
than twenty wears. am grateful. BE,
fore ] die ! want to tell YOU SO and
give YOU my thanks
j The king then summoned Princess
1Clcment;ne, whom ne kissed several
Hines. telling her not to cry. She WAS
He'd faiuting from the room. Other
ilrelatiYes, including Prince Albert, fol
tlowed
Fate destined that Leopoid's illness
stsbould occur in the simple pavilion
1IInsiead OF the royal palace at Brua-
4scls.
a While il IS understood 10 have been
IL wbim of the sovereign that caused
Tine closing of the castle. this action
i4probably had 90 do with the king S
.lpian TO place most Of his personal aud
iIfeai property in control of stock com
'fPany Ia permit the inheritance 10 pass
10 his daughters undisturb"d by scan
4 aais such IS has followed the death Of
y the queen,
Financial Scandals.
n Princess Louise. whose creditors tried
prevent her from receiving her in
Nherliance 10 the queen S Jewels. offered
tn dramatic touch TO the present silua,
n 4tion by sending from Hungary m in.
4 sis'ent appeal 10 her father 10 receive
ner. and If is rumorcd tonight that the
1H'he has consented 10 see his baui>hcd
q dauglter
N Aotbipg has been heard from Priu.
u cess Stcphanic.
curious circumstance j. the iact
.nat Brussels appears TO bc more o"-
fryupled with the sensational chapters in
!NIhg Leopold : career than with his
shpcSs he situation is summarized BY
q might: '"' '"'' ~
y Leopold docs not understand fine
k,ei2'aus, aud inc Bclgiaus. do not IN
1nerstand Leopold. So. perhaps. fbev
y naYe grown apart, Tie BcIqiaus have
sople 10 consider Leopold as Il great
d rlAh ot business, great international
d promoter. who mi the same inc GiHs
"one much good for Belgium.
8 baroncss Vaughan. II is rUmurcd in.
ltrsre. upon seeing the king today, thus
t11n1IInIshIng an exciting incident, but
Iplnn. ~ "''
u 1t IS also reported that She was in
! tpfned that if the king died, she would
40. be allowed 10 remain in Bel
4 n In IN r., ~