Evening star., 1925-04-16
SKILL AS DRIVER
/ SAVES KINGS LIFE
Boris Takes Wheel of Bus,
Speeds From Range of
Bandit Guns.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
SOFIA, Bulgaria, April liking
Boris of Bulgaria probably owes his
life to the fact that he is an expert
automobile driver. Tuesday. when his
car was attacked from ambuscade by
a band of alleged communists and
the chauffeur wounded, the King
seized the wheel, and in a measure
managed to steer the machine partly
out of the danger zone. The steering
gear was damaged. however, and in
moment the ear hit a telegraph post.
Meanwhile the Kings assailants,
numbering six. continued to fire on the
occupants of the automobile, and they,
in turn, retailiated with revolvers,
but their shots apparently were with
out effect. Realizing that the only
chance of escape lay in fight, the
King and three of his attendants leap
ed out of the car and took cover in
little cOpSe few yards down the
road that leads from Orchanie to
Sofia.
Aide Plans Escape.
NJ. Iltcheff. director of the Sofia
Museum, already was bleeding pro-
fusely from a body wound, but he
continued to defend the King. Almost
Immediately a servant was shot
through the heart, and Htchetf be-
came unconscious. The chauffeur was
some distance from the King and the
others, so Capt. Stanatoff, aide de
camp, urged Boris to make a bid Tor
safety and run toward an autobuS
carrying mails, which the royal car
had passed a few minutes before
reaching the ambuscade. Stanatotr
covered the Kings retreat, although
Boris wished to attempt to carry OH
Iltcheff's body with him.
The King and his aide ran toward
the autobus. the driver of which was
endeavoring to turn back, but was
hampered by the narrow road. The
King took the chauffeur place. turn
ed the bus and speeded off downhill,
pursued by the bandits, who fired
and hit the bus, but without serious
damage.
Drives Troops to Scene.
Arriving at Orchanie, the King has
tily modified "a platoon OF troops, and,
remaining at the wheel of the auto
bus, hurried back with an officer and
% soldiers to the place of the ambus-
cade. The bandits were robbing the
bodies of Iltcheff and the servant.
They were surprised and one was
wounded. The others fed and, aided
by small, wiry horses, escaped.
The Kings calmnesS during the af-
fair was related with ddinlrdtlOn Dy
those who witnessed the attack. One
passenger on the autobus admitted
that on hearing the shots he hastily
threw a large sum of money into the
bush beside the road. On returning,
several hours later, he failed to dis
cover the place, but the King, who
had remained on the spot, directing
operations. showed him where it was.
Finally, after all had been cleared up,
the King drove another car back to
Sofia and reported to the government
what had occurred.
Sister Not i'm Party.
The Kings sister, Princess EudoXia,
was not d member of the party, al
though she usually accompanies her
brother everywhere. Boris spends
much of his time motoring about Bull
garia, visiting the peasantry and
searching for wild flowers and plants.
He was on one of these expeditions
when his car ran into the ambuscade.
Who the bandits were, whether
they planned to kill the King or
whether they wished only to rob the
autobus is a mystery.
After a thanksgiving service yeSter-
day morning an unprecedented mani
festation took place in Sofia. Thou
sands of persons of all classes ac-