Paragould soliphone., 1921-08-19
PICTURESQUE
 SERBIAN KING
 PASSES AWAY
Gallant Old Balkan Fighter Succumbs to Infirmities of Age; His Career Was Turbulent.

Belgrade, Serbia, Aug. liking Peter of Serbia died here today
 King Peter, 76 years old, white haired, deaf i'll from the infirmities of age and suffering from the wounds of three or more wars, relinquished the cares of state in 1919 when his second son, Grown Prince Alex ander, succeeded him and became the ruler of the new state of Jugoslavia. He then declared:
 My beloved Serbia is now free and it's future, I believe, will be great one. My work is over, l de- sire only the continued affection and devotion of my people and, finally, a grave on Serbian soil
 Despite his age, King Peter pre- sented one of the most courageous figures of the war. On the day that Serbia rejected the Austrian de- mands Peter renounced his tenn porary abdication of the throne and placed himself once more at the head of the country. He was even then almost sightless and hard of hearing and was under the constant care of a physician.
 When the fortunes of war turned against the SerbianS he remanied with his armies till practically the last units had been driven from the country He then escaped through he presided over the reorganization of his forces. Afterward he went to Corfu, where he established head quarters and took an active part in the direction of his nomadic govern ment.
 Forced from his capital, Belgrade. and thence from Nish by the advan- cling army of the central powers in 1915, his country laid waste by fire and shell, Peter lived to re- turn to Servia and engage actively in the reorganization and reconstruc- tion of his domanis From the be- ginning of the conflict, the aged king encouraged his troops and peo- pie despite the most depressing re- verses and on several occasions per 1 sonally led the Serbs into battle.
 Nation Reunited.
 An invalid, self-imposed exile in Greece, his son Alexander, took his ! fathers place as commander of the army. Alexander was later design ated prince regent by the elder Ke- rageorgevitch and on November 26, 1918, the National Council of Jugo- clavia at Agram, Croatia, confirm ed the choice, thus relieving the venerable king of the rulership of Serbia, Montenegro, Slavonia, Bosnia l Herzegovina, Balmatia and Croatia, which had united after their lbera- | tion from Austria.
 Early in 1919 the aged king was removed to quiet retreat near Ath- ems, Greece, where he lived in a small six-room house overlooking the i Bay of Phaeleron.
 | To meet his long cherished wish ! that he might die on his native soil the Serbian authorities in 1920 | brought the invalid king back to his beloved Belgrade. He avoided society, however. and kept aloof from all courts and public functions.
 King Peter was extremely demo- cratic and affable.. His taste was simple to the point of severity. He was beloved by his people, parti- cularly the peasantry, who called him Father Peter"
 Career BeclOuded
 But his royal career was becIoud- ed by grave and terrible tragedy the assassination of his predecessor King Alexander, and the latter's wife. Queen Draga in the palace at Belgrade on June 10, 1903.