The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-03-19
king GEORGE
ASSASS|NATED
The Ruler Of Greece Killed
in Saloniki Yesterday
Afternoon
HE WAS THERE
WITH HIS ARMY
Assembled the Greek Throne
About Fifty Years
Ago

Saloniki, March l9--King George OF
Greece was assassinated while walking
the streets of Saloniki yesterday after
noon. The assassin was a Greek of
weak mental type, who gave his name
MS Aleko Schinas He shot the king
through the heart. The king was accom-
panied only by an aide-de camp, Lieut.
/ COL Francoudis. The assassin came sud
denly at him and fired the shot from a
seven-chamber revolver. The tragedy
caused intense excitement. Schinas was
seized Immediately and overpowered.
The wounded king was lifted into a
carriage and taken to Papafion hospital.
/ He was still breathing when he arrived
| there, but died in half an hour.
/ Prince Nicholas, the kings third son,
and other officers, hurried to the hos
pital. Arriving first, Prince Nicholas
summoned the officers and, speaking in
voice choked with sobs, said: ut is
my deep grief TO have to announce to
YOU the death of our beloved king and
invite you to swear fidelity to your new
sovereign, Ming IonsthHtiHe.
Crown Prince Constantine, who sue
ceeds King George, is at Janina. He is
expected here with all possible haste
The assassin of the king is an evil
looking fellow, about 40 years old. On
his arrest, he refused to explain the mo-
tive for the crime.
He declared his name and in reply to
the officer who asked if he had no pity
for his country, announced that he was
against the government He maintained
a passive demeanor suggestive of being
irresponsible for his action.
King George, who had taken personal
command of his troops during the earlier
period of the war, had been here since
December, when the Turkish fortress
was occupied by the Greeks after a short
siege. The queen of Greece also has
been here and has paid great attention
to the care of the sick and wounded
King George in December had a meeting
here with King Ferdinand of Bulgaria,
and it is supposed that they discussed
the fate OF the captured Turkish terri
tory after the war.
Since the occupation of Saloniki by
the Greeks there has been some friction
between them and their Bulgarian allies, |
but it was thought that this would
eventually be overcome during the nego |
tiations for the partition of Turkish
territory.
King George on the Throne Fifty Years.
The success of the assassin in remov |
ing Christian William Ferdinand Adolf |
phus George /, king of the Hellenes,
comes only after many attempts. Two
of these occurred in 1899, and one two
years earlier, in 1897.
King George was the second son OF |
the late king of Denmark brother of the
dowager czarina and of Queen Mother
Alexandra of England. He was born
Dec. "a, ls45, and served for some time
in the Danish navy. After the abdica
ton of Otto /, the late king Of Greece
in 1868, the vacant throne was first
rendered by the Greek people to Prince
Alfred of England, whose nomination
the English government refused to ac
cept 1t was then offered to Ernest OF
Sake Coburg- Gotha, who declined it, and
eventually to Prince Christian, who with
the concurrence of his own family ac
eepted it, and began to reign as King
George | on June 9, 1863. King George
was married at st. Petersburg October
81, ls67 to the Princess Olga, daughter
of the Grand Duke Constantine, vino
was born in 1851.
If to overcome difficulties is mark of
greatness then King George of Greece
was undoubtedly great, for no monarch
Oh a throne has had a more difficult
task. At the age of eighteen. an mex
youth with no ambition be- ,
yond the narrow bounds of his fathers
little kingdom, he was suddenly called
upon to rule over a race the most in
lividua and critical of all the races in
history. He had before him the fate OF !
King Ohio, who had been driven from
he country by his rebellious subjects,
md the knowledge that the unstable
rown of Greece had been rejected by
'lder and more ambitious men. The :
act that he bore the burden for fifty :
ears is proof OF his manly qualities and ,
# his courage and prudence as a ruler. !.
A Monarch at Eighteen. 5
Few incidents appeal more to the inn
.gination than the story of how the
ged king of Denmark in 1868 summoned
he sailor Prince George to the throne Z
Dom in Copenhagen, and motioning him
O his side saluted him as king of the
Iellenes and peer of reigning monarchs.
| few weeks later, this alien prince ig
orant alike of the Greeks and their Ian n
uage, set foot in his turbulent kingdom
With a solitary companion, of whom the
ealousy of his subjects promptly robbed t
i'm. Alone, unaided, watched with sus- Z
ieion. and even with hostility. King L
george was confronted with a task that
o most men would have seemed hope i
sss. But youth and enthusiasm are not Y
asily aifrighted, and behind the young '
)ane were the instincts and the tradi- e
ions of a race Of eonquerors. p
MY strength lies in the love Of my
eople" was the motto he chose. and his n
rst proclamation was an appeal to their
mbition. Il viii make Greece a model v
or the kingdoms OF Eastern Europe
10 words could have been better chosen.
'hev voiced the burning sentiment q a
ace but lately smancipated from Otto b
tan tyranny and inspired with al the d
assionste longing for the return Of their j
ncient glory. How King George strove q
D redeem that pledge Of his youth i q
-ritten in the chronicles % nearly half a "
sntury. The pages are sombre. Il Is "
rue. but thew are occasionally bright
red BY records Of personal heroism aud n
scrifce. n
Trials and trihuiafions we're waiting p.