The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-03-26
GIVES UP
HIS RIGHT OF
SUCCESSION
George Of SerVia RenOunCes
Claim to Throne - -
WILL LEAVE THE COUNTRY
Newspapers Had Charged Him With
Inficting Fatal Injuries on
Servant.

Belgrade, March 26-George, crown
prince of Seryia, has renounced his
right of succession to the Servian
throne. His action is the result of a
bitter press campaign in which the
crown prince was accused of being
The cause of the recent death of one
Of his servants, a man named Kola-
kovits.
In a letter to Premier Novakovitch
The crown prince announces that he
has taken this step rather than rest
under the suspicion of having muir
dered his servant, and that by the re-
nunciation he foregoes all special pri-
yileges and immunities that attach
o the person of the heir OF the throne.
Continuing he expresses his willing.
ness TO go abroad for a lengthy so
iourn.
The servant Kolakovits was remov-
ID to hospital last week suffering
form serious internal injuries and he
lied after an operation. According
the report of the doctors who per
'ormed an autopsy on the body the
nan suffered from hernia, and his
leath was due to a serious injury con-
iequent upon falling down stairs. The
iress and the public. however, refused
o accept this explanation and openly
ioiced their suspicious that the crown
prince was responsible for the death
If his servant. The scandal grew to
such proportions that it was impossi-
Die to hush 1t up and the final out
,ome was the sensational announce
nent Of the crown prince to the prem
err
Immediately upon the receipt of the
lrince's letter, the premier notified
he members of the cabinet of its con-
ents and summoned an urgency meet
ng of the cabinet for this afternoon,
1t which King Peter will preside.
The action of the crown prince has
reated a profound sensation here,
| Che National Assembly at once ad-
burned upon hearing the news The
newspapers issued extra editions and
he intelligence quickly caused the as
emblage OF excited knots of people
n the public places of the city.
According to the Servian, constitu.
ion the Remuneration of the crown
lrince. can be accepted only by the
| rand national assembly. Minister OF
Finance Protois declared in an inter
dew that the crown prince could not
Voluntarily renounce his rights to the
hrone explaining that such steI
must have the sanction of the national
assembly before which the matter will
De laid tomorrow.
The actions of Prince George of Ser
ia in recent years have been the
scandals of the Servian court He is
y years old and was designated
,rown prince of Servia when his faith
r. Peter L. assembled the throne il
903 after the assassination of Kinl
Alexander and Queen Draga. He haC
been a leader of the war party in his
country since the outbreak of the
trouble with Austria-H Hungary over the
annexation of the dual monarchy o.
the provinces OF Bosnia and Here
govina and on a visit to st. Peters
burg last October he was urged b!
Emperor Nicholas to abandon his war
like attitude His riotous living hal
alienated the affections of the Servi
an people and il often has been sait
that they would welcome the substi
tuition OF his younger brother, Alex
ander, to be heir to the throne.