Evening star., 1923-06-15
E-pREM|ER SLAIN
TRYING TO ESCAPE
BULGAR PEASANTS
FuSiIIade From People He
Had Championed Ends
Stamboulisky's Career.
DIES IN AUTO FLEEING
FROM AN ARMED MOB
Tried to Force King to Abdicate
in His Favor, Revelations Show.
Captured Yesterday
Ry the Associated Press.

DIV the Associated Press
SOFIA, June 15.-Former premier
AStamboulisky of Bulgaria has neen
AiIled while trying to escape
The end of the peasant leaders
Aareer follows series of dramatic
b., yelopments beginning with the
&1 erthrow of his government In the
sariy hours of last Saturday and the
f4crmation of a coalition government
&ncluding all the opposition parties
Arith the exception of the communists
AS soon as Stamboulisky became
Aware of the successful coup d etat
Rne fed toward the mountains oil
Central Bulgaria. shaving on MS
hnoustache and Disgusting himself as
ian army chauffeur. He was deserted
hrv most of his followers, only four
Eheing with him when he arrived at
Hpirdot on his way to Elishintza. Ihe
Epursuing troops of the new govern
bnent overlook the party at Pirdot'
tabut Stamboulisky escaped into the
Forest during the fighting, in which
Vhis four followers were overcome.
He could not long elude the large
forces seeking him. however. and he
fswas captured yesterday at Molavi,
kvtllage near Slavovitza-
( Alexander Stamboulisky. known as
Afhe peasant premier, was one of the
Fnnost picturesque personalities IN
fmodern Bulgarian history. A man OF
r1nassive frame and tremendous en-
sergy, he was described by his op-
ponents as "a bull in china closet,
but there was no doubt of his popu
1arity with the all-potent peasant
party.
rose to the power of a dictator. solid
flying under his leadership the wide
spread opposition to the war policies
of former King Ferdinand. who
threw the fortunes of his country
into the scale on the side of the CEN
trai powers in the world war.
Held for Treason.
His opposition to Ferdinand's poll
cies resulted In his trial for treason
and he was condemned TO life i'm
prisonment in the early part of 1916,
but about three years later the armis-
1icc intervened and he was released.
While in prison he wrote eighteen
books and worked out many of the
legislative and social reforms which
later. as the administrative head of
the country. he began to put into
practice.
One of the measures which aroused
the greatest opposition TO his regime
was the trial of the members of the
former ministries on charges or
treason for embroiling the country
IN war, and this opposition was given
potent expression in the recent par
liamentary elections, when several OF
the former ministers, while in
prison, were returned to parliament
tary seats.
Attempted to Become King.
The closing phase Of his regime
was an attempt to seize the power as
dictator in legal form. Summoning
King Boris to Slavovitza, he ordered
him to sign a decree to this effect.
but Boris begged for time to con-
slider the step. The decision of the
opposition parties to overthrow the
government by force quickly fol-
flowed.
In the hectic days since the fall of
his government charges have been
made that Stamboulisky had his eyes
on the crown itself and that he had
laid definite plans to seize the throne,
proclaiming himself Alexander II,
early In September.
Coupled with the stories are semi
official reports of the discovery in his
Sofa residence of large sums of
money, including American bank
notes.