The Washington times., 1912-05-15
KING DROPS DEAD,
LIES UNIDENTIFIED
IN PUBLIC MORGUE
Denmark's Ruler Not Rec
ognized in Hamburg for
Three Hours.

. HAMBURG, May 15.-Dressed in an
ordinary business suit. Frederick VIII.
King of Denmark, dropped dead while
alone in the streets Of Hamburg Tues
day night and his body, unidentified,
lay on a slab with several other bodies
in a harbor front hospital morgue until
found at o'clock this morning by
anxious searchers for the King.
Considerable mystery surrounds the
death of the King, and the authorities
appear to be endeaNoring to conceal
the fact that Frederick died on the
street.
The first reports given out were that
the King had died suddenly in his
hotel, the Hamburger Hof, early today.
Nothing could be learned officially as
! to the couse of death except the brlCt
and unsatisfactory statement that the
King had chill. Later 1t was added
that he had experienced a slight fever
and an irritation of the lungs.
Reached Hamburg Monday.
King Frederick and his family reached
, Hamburg Monday en- route to Copen-
hagen from Nice. where the King had
, been for his health. Frederick had been
stricken with pneumonia In February,
and appeared to be unable to regain lis
health in his own country. He suffered
. relapse there when apparently on the
road to recovery, and it was then de-
cided that he should so to the Riviera.
In much improved health the King
and his family reached here on their
way home. The King was accompanied
by Princess Thyre and Dagmar and
the Queen.
The royal suite at the Hamburger Hof
was occupied, and a short time after the
arrival of the royal family the mys-
terious circumstances of the Kings
death began.
Despite the efforts of the hotel Of
& fcials and the authorities to conceal all
lnformation 1t Is known that last night
tne King went out alone for a walk
He Is said to have informed the imme-
date members of his family of his In
tention, and for some time his absence
caused no alarm.
As the hour grew late and the King,
who had insisted upon going unaccom-
panied, fa1ed to return, the Queen and
the princesses became disturbed. The
motel officials were quietly notified. and
out In search of the missing monarch.
Search Started.
When he left the Hamburger Hof he
! wore an ordinary sack suit. and an
! peared merely an old man of moderate
means out for a stroll For a man of
J this description the :lotel men searched
one by one they reported 10 the hotel
! that they had been unsuccessful in
iheir quest. and 1t was then at an early
hour this morning that the Hamburgei.
police authorities were notified.
l.. several hours were spent by the anx-
1ons authorities, who called into action
all means in their power. While the en-.
tire machinery of the police department
was being put into action one member
cf the force casually reported that
turning into side street near the wa
trate form of an old man. Thinking his
find unconscious, the policeman had hur-
riediy summoned an ambulance and
pital. There the physicians pronounced
the man dead and said that he had
: probably been stricken with an attack
of heart failure.
did not know that the King of Denmark
was missing. To them the body was
merely that of an unknown old man
and, following the procedure Of the hos.
pital, the body was stripped Of its sack
suit.
The remains of King Frederick were
picked up by the morgue attendants and
placed on a slab with several other
bodies and In the city the search tor
the King went on.
When the policeman made the report
Of the finding of the body of the Kine
the police then got their first clue OF
the missing monarch.
Morgue attendants did not hush their
voices. There were, no court chamber
chamber, no military guard of honor
stood at attention. and Denmark die
rot know that its King was dead.
Rushed to Hospital.
When the police heads learned tina,
an unknown man answering in a gen.
eral way the description of the miss
ing King had been picked up ant
taken to the hospital officers anc
members of the royal suite at ones
rushed there. Through the halls they
made their way and then the morguC
attendants saw that something fal
more important than the casual ar
rival of another dead one" had hap
pened
The official in charge of the hospi
royal family took one look and ther
bowling his head murmured:
The, King is dead; long live th'
The King of Denmark had beer
found and the cold body, that for thre'
hours had been but the body of s
man, again became royal to the world
With all possible haste, the author
ities. aided by the hospital officials
rushed the body into conveyance
and 1t was hurried to the Hamburge
Hof. The authorities at the hospita
were asked to maintain silence as t.
what had happened, and the ban o
silence was at once placed on the po
lice department.
At the hotel it was stated briefly a
the proper time by the hotel manage
ment that King Frederick of Den
mark, who was occupying the roya
suite at the Hamburger Hof, had died
Later to this brief announcement wa
added the second terse one that tn
King had suffered a slight chill. The
1t was allowed to become known tina
the King, but recently recovered fror
an attack of pneumonia. Then grad
uallY the insuppressible facts beCam
public property.