The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-12-10
.SERVIA CRIME
IS RECALLED
King Peter Visits in Paris Where He
Attended Military School and
Went 70 the
Front.
PRETENDER's ACTIONS
Hated King Alexandra But Not Bad
Enough to Wish for Him the
Violent Death He
Met.

United Press Special Service.]
PARIS. Dec. 9--For the first time
since 1903, when King Peter ]. OF
Servia, mounted the throne following
the horrible murder of King Alex
andre and Queen Draga, in their roy
al bedchambers. the Servian monarch
is the official guest Of foreign ruler.
/ AS the guest of President Armand
| Fallieres and the French republic,
King Peter was shown the usual royal
honors during his visit here, Noyem-
Der 16 to 10.
When asked what part his father
| took in the assassination of Queen
Draga and her king-husband. Prince
| George, now a student at the st. Cyr
military academy here, declared King
| Peter had denied to him that he knew
anything of the crime before it was
committed, and that in planning to
win back the crown he has expressly
demanded of his followers that they
should spill no blood
Still, quite different story has
come fresh from his own capital at
Belgrade, and has for source no less
person than the Hadji Thomas, the
man who financed the events leading
up to the death of the king and
queen, and the restoration of the Kar-
| agergeyitch family.
! According to a special article in
lie Temps Thomas visited the
] (then) Prince Peter, in Switzerland
1 where he was in exile, just prior to
the coup of 1903, and laid before him
the plans of the whole conspiracy, in
| Alexandra and Queen Draga. This
was deemed the simplest, and the
/ only sure way of accomplishing the
desired result The Prince is said to
have demurred at first. finally giving
4 his consent TO all. breaking down at
last and weeping bitterly upon the
shoulder of the old man He told
Thomas, it is said. that he could not
assist in the scheme financially. but
4 that he could sell some of his lands
in Roumania, those who had spent
money for the cause would be reim-
bnrsed
Prince George, aged "a, is the eldest
son OF King Peter Two years ago he
was forced TO forswear all rights 0
the crown of Serva, abdicating In ia
vor of his younger brother Alexandra.
The young man is now completing his
military education in the French
school at st Cyr.
E My father told me as / was leav-
3 ing home the Prince stated that in
d case was called upon by newspaper
o men to explain what part he took In
g the death Of King Alexandra and
h Queen Draga, should not be troubled
7 You can tell them, he told me,
l. that you were present in Geneva, In
|, June of 1908, when ] received the de
g putation from the constituency. off
e cially come 10 offer me the crown OF
lie Servia. And you can tell them how
d when learned of the horrors that
, had taken place in the old Konak OF
Belgrade, that l protested in astonish
i ment You may add that / knew de
cigive events were about to transpirt
and that held myself in readiness t.
: would do under the circumstances, bu
. that ! had admonished my adherent
: to refrain from bloodshed 1t was m,
right to hate Alexandra Obrenovitct
whose dynasty chased your grand
!, father. Alexandra l fKaregeorgevitch
: from the throne and kept me an exil
= for fortyhve years; but never hate
= him badly enough to wish him an
9 his wife, the Queen Draga, the hol
= rible death they met"
- The king was received in Franc
~ with considerable warmth. He tough
in his young days, side by side wit
the French against Austria. Banishe
in 1853 from servia, he was placed j
Id the st Cyr Military Academy in 1856
OF taking part in the famous promote
of Puebla" He was taken to Hungar