Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1909-12-22
BELGIUM MOURNS
DEPARTED RULER
KINGS WILL DIVIDES ss,ooO,C0o
AMONG THREE DAuGH-
TIERS.
BARONESS VAUGHN PROVIDED
FoR-sTocK COMPANY
FOR ESTATES.
NUMBER 20

Brussels, Dec. 1S.--Belgium mourns
its departed ruler Courts, schools
and theaters are closed, parliament
adjourned and flags half masted
everywhere Under the constitution
the affairs of the nation are in the
control of the cabinet until Prince
Albert takes the oath of succession
next Thursday, in the presence of par
Lament after the funeral of his uncle
An official decree yesterday lauded
Leopolds career, declared his Gre
alton of the Congo as an independent
state was an act unique i'm history.
"Posterity will judge Leopold as
great king with a grand reign it
says.
The body remains in the mortuary
chamber of "the palms This even
ing it will be removed to the palace
in Brussels The face will not be ex-
posed again to public view
The filing of the kings will yester-
day shows that he divided $3,G00000
between his three daughters. This
practical disinheritance of his chill
dren signalizes the beginning Of a gi-
gantie legal battle to obtain the
kings wealth similar TO that which
ensued on the death OF their mother.
The exact amount of LeOpold's for
! tune probably never will be revealed.
Senator Winer, the kings legal adj
wiser, told the Associated Press that
| Leopold turned over a considerable
| portion to Baroness Vaughn and her
children and created a stock company
of his estates in order to forestall
possible raid upon them by the pfln-
cesses, Louise and Stephanie, or their
creditors. Winer said that later, per-
haps, a considerable portion OF the
estate would be handed over to Bel
GUM. The Princess Clementine aside
from the bequest she will receive, IS
provided for by a special income 1fon
the Congo properties.
An investigation shows that the
rights of succession to the throne OF
the child Of the king by Baroness
Vaughn is unworthy of serious at
tention. Winer points out that Il
there was only a religious ceremony
laws would prevent the accession OF
child of such union. The senator, how
ever. does not believe there was even
religious marriage.
If it is established that the baroness
is OF foreign birth she probably VIII
be expelled from Belgium, like the
favorite of Leopold I, Baroness Mayer,
whose house was attacked and de
stroyed by mob after the kings
death.
Goes to LeopoId's Chateau
Paris. Dec. 1S.-The Mathis Brus-
sells correspondent says that Baroness
Vaughan has decided to go at once
to Balincourt, Leopold's chateau, near
Paris, where her children are.
Suspicion of Baroness.
Brussels, Dec. 18.-A court injunction
was granted last evening on the petit
ton of Baroness Vaughan, restraining
the authorities from affixing seals on
her residence. The action of Princess
Louise in attempting to have the
seals affixed, was due to her belief
that valuable property belonging to
the king is in the baroness villa.
A contest over the succession TO
the throne is possible. The vatican
is reported to have confirmed the mar
riage year ago of King Leopold and
Baroness Vaughn. Two sons are said
to have been born from this union
and both survive The elder is Lucian,
) years old 1t is reported he will
claim the throne. Prince Albert, the
heir presumptive, is nephew OF Leo
pold II.