Omaha daily bee., 1919-10-04
Randall K. Brown Is the Mon
arch and Miss Helen Mur-
xphy His Royal Consort-
Thousands See Coronation. :
HISTORIC DEN SCENE OF
BEAUTY AND SPLENDOR
After Loyal Subjects Pledge
Them Homage, King and
Queen Give Signal for Start
of Ball.

King Ak-Sar-Ben XIV. was
crowned king of Quivera last night
in his royal castle. better known as
the Den, amid scenes Of unprecedent-
ed beauty and splendor and before
the admiring eyes of 5000 Of his
subjects
When the new king and queen
in their royal robes and glistening
jewels were seated upon the throne
set beneath an oriental canopy, and
when the knights in their silken gar
ments with silken sashes and tur-
bans of many colors had drawn
their scimetars and sworn fealty
to their king and queen, Maj. Gen.
Leonard Wood, U. S. A., stepped
from his box at the stage and
walked up the thickly carpeted steps
and knelt before the throne, sliak-
ing hands with the king and hold
ing the finger tips ofs~the queen.
who smiled graciously upon the
general and assured him of their
high yegard. The generals staff
followed him.
Came also Governor McKelvie
OF the state of Nebraska and his
consort and did homage to the new
ly crowned monarchs. Then came
many OF the knights and their la
dies and pledged anew their fealty
and fingered to look long at the !.
beautiful queen. Ia
\ Secret Well Kept.
The secret of the identity of the
new king and his fair rSconsort was
we'll preserved until the moment Of
the crowning ceremonies.
Whispers there have been through
out the realm these many months.
This one said So-and-So would be
queen, and another one said Such-
and Such would be king.
But more had positive knowledge,
and when they were questioned,
could not give authoritative an
swers.
Only the committee Of three
knew who was the king, until late
yesterday. And only the committee
and the queen and her family and the
dressrlakers and her dearest friends
knew who the queen would be until
yesterday
Last night the king was discovered
to be one of Omaha's prominent
bachelors, = wealthy business man
and large req estate owner, Randall
K. Brown.
And his royal consoYt proved to
be Miss Helen Murphy, youngest
daughter OF Mr.. and Mrs. M. r.
Murphy, and one of the most beau-
tiful girls in the city.
Greeted By. Applause.
And the great crowd of knights
and ladies and loyal retainers Of the
realm applauded when they saw the
king and queen and said the crown
and coronet had never rested upon
braver king or more beautiful
queen.
The doors of the historic old den
were opened at 7 o'clock, and the
guests began to arrive early. By :
| o'clock every seat was, taken, and
by 9 o'clock 1000 were standing.
| The rain fortunately did not be-
gin to fall until every knight and
lady was safe within the castle
walls.
Automobiles were so numerous
that they filled the space in front
of the den and the streets for three
blocks in every. direction. The old
est attache of the den could not re-
member another time when. there
was such big attendance at the
bali. =
Inside TIE Den. preceding the cess
monies there was activity as iu5
human bee hive, bee hive h.ed
with lovely women, made stix more
lovely by exquisite gowns splendit
hrecklaces. rings and other Jewels
the whole scene tempered by I'll,
Knights Of the realm in the "con.
eentional black" dress suits and TN
loyal retainers who, by thousand, .
were spectators of the Ceremonies,
and the dancing.
Beautiful Oriental Scene
Never before has there been suc
a coronation in ali the long line 3
the Ak-Sar-Ben dynasty Tk@ ~
terror of the< Den was conver,sa :
into an exotic scene OF orientx
.dreamlness. The richly cdored
draperies which entixely covefed The (
walls and ceiling ofsske vast build
ing were in themselves suggestive
OF the tent Of an Arab sheik of the
tcentinsed = rass q. colsn. xAssae