Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1909-12-14
DESPERATE OPERATION
MAY SAVE AGED MONARCH
Royal Patient Calmly Directs
What is Probably Last Chap
ter of His Spectacular Career;
Last Rites of Church.
tBy Morning journal Special Leased Wire
Brussels, Dec. 1i.-At FIVE o'clock
this morning the condition of King
Leopold was unchanged.

Brussels, Dec. 13.--Leopold II, king
of the Belgians, tonight is making a
desperate fight with death and the
odds are strongly against the aged
monarch.
As last resort, the surgeons knife
will be tried tomorrow. If the opera
ton is successful. King Leopold may
live. If it fails the end is inevitable
All will depend upon the kings
strength and vitality, which are fast
ebbing
rheumatism has already conquered
the aged and wasted frome Dropsy
has developed and an obstruction of
the intestines which must be removed
has greatly aggravated his condition.
The general opinion is that the king
Will not survive the operation. In
deed, he may die at any moment.
The monarch is rather optimistic and
today exclaimed to his physician:
Operate and the sooner the bet
ter.V
But he added, with a wan, wistrul
smile Perhaps doctor the long,
long journey is at hand"
King Leopold is still as lucid Of in
tcllcct as ever This masterful mind
which conceived and carried out the
Congo project and reused the whole
world into bitter indictment and dis
cussion, calmly directed what seems to
be the final chapter in his spectacular
career.
The picture WAS pathetic enough.
lie, separated from his two cldest1
daughters hy tragic skein Of events
with scandal OF his own personal life
whispered by every tongue. Leopold
lay tonight in the palms, little
pavilion OF six rooms close to the
great Laeken. attended by his faithful
Princess Clementne. Grown
Prince Albert and the royal house
hold
The castle is empty, for the King
sold all the furniture. dismissed the
servants ana withdrew to the pavilion
not far from the chateau which is the
home of his most intimate friend, |
Baroness Vaughan.
The day was a mixture of anxiety, |
hope and despair. As his strength /
failed the king whispered to his chap /
lain and the aged priest. with tears I
wetting his cheeks approached the bed /
and heard the kings confession and |
administered communion and extreme !
In the morning the king assisted by |
4 notary and solicitors settled his pri-
yate affairs lie discussed points in /
MS will with perfect composure. In
he afternoon he took farewell OF the
court officials TO Count Oultremont,
marshal of the court his majesty said:
"You have served me well for more
than twenty years I am grateful. Be
'ore | die I want to tell YOU so and
give you my thanks.
The king then summoned Princess
'lementine whom he kissed several
lines. telling her not to cry. She was
ed fainting from the room. Other
'elatives, including Prince Albert, fol-
owed.
Fate destined that Leopold's illness
should occur i'm the simple pavilion
instead of the royal palace at Brus-
sells
While it is understood to have been
, whim of the sovereign that caused
he closing of the castle, this action
probably had to do with the kings
,lan to place most of his personal and
'eal property in control of stock
company i'm order to permit the inher-
tance to pass to his daughters. undis-