The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-02-20
RICH, POOR IN
LONG LINE AT
BIER OF KING
SorroWing Thousands Wait
Hours to Pay Tribute to
Monarch.
FINAL RITES THURSDAY
All Nation MournS Beloved
Ruler; Leopold Ready
to Take Throne.
BIZ limited Press

BIZ United Press
BRUSSELS, Feb. 20.-Thousands
upon sorrowing thousands BelgianS
passed today before the body of
King Albert as it lay in state on its
catafalque in the Chappelle Ardente
of the royal palace.
Clad in a generals uniform, the
face bruised by fatal fall from a
mountain rock face, the hands
clasping a crucif1x, the dead kings
body lay in setting of silver and
black draperies and green foliage.
Candles f1ickered eerily in the
little palace chapel, near the grand
ballroom in which only recently the
king and queen had given gala
court ball.
Grenadiers in khaki, with crepe
draped swords, stood guard, as they
had done all night while those first
in line outside the royal palace were
waiting, from midnight on, to pay
homage to the monarch who had
led them in war and peace.
Reigned for "a Years
War veterans, war widows, chill
dren of war dead, men and women
who could remember all of the
tWenty-four eventful years of his
reign. TOP hated men from the
cities, peasants in rusty, creased
black, waited in line to file slowly
past the body and take a last look
at the reposed face Of king who
was remembered also as a soldier,
sportsman, a devoted husband and
father, and a citizen.
The dead kings body will lie in
state tomorrow as we'll as today.
The funeral will be held Thursday,
with kings and princes in attend
ance.
Crown Prince Leopold will be pro-
claimed King Leopold III Friday
after he takes, before a joint session
of parliament, the simple oath OF
office that caused his father to defy
the might of the German army in
1914.
Il swear to observe the Constitu-
ton and law of the people Of Bel
GUM and to maintain the national
independence and territorial in
tegrity."
Mourning to End Aug. II
On Saturday, King Leopold and
his consort, Astrid new queen of the
Belgians, will ride in state process
sion through the capital.
The occasion of the oath taking
and the state procession will bring
the sole, brief breaks in the six
months period of official mourning
that ends Aug. IT.
The coronation, the ceremoniouS
confirmation of the new kings &C
cession, will be held after the period
of mourning for King Albert is over.
One of Leopold's first acts will be
to convene a ministerial council and
to prepare for early PRONUNCIATION
crown declaration outlining the
policies of his reign.
King Albert's body was taken to
the royal palace from Laeken, where
it had lain since he was discovered
dead from a fall on the Marches
Les Danes Sunday morning, in state
procession last night.
Communist Are Dispersed
Torches carried by bearers flank
ing the gray gun carriage, drawn by
black horses, on which the kings
coffin lay, fickered f1tfully as the
procession passed. Leopold and his
younger brother, Prince Charles,
marched behind the coffin.
The coffin was taken to the
Chapelle Ardente, to lie under guard
until 8 a.. m. today, when the doors
of the palace were opened and the
great crowd in the court outside be-
gan filling into the chapel.
There was a communist demon
stration in favor Of a republic last
night after the procession to the
Brussels palace. Police dispersed it
quietly.
The usually gay city remained
quiet. Most ordinary business was
suspended pending the funeral.
Cafes opened last night, but without
the customary music