ALBANIAN KING
FIVE DAYS' REIGN EXPLOITS OF A DUTCHMAN An arresting story revealing how a man came to be king of Albania for five days during the Balkan troubles that preceded tue Great War are given in last month’s issue of ‘ Het Leven ’ (Life), an illustrated Amsterdam journal. The narrator and hero is a Dutchman, Otto Witte, now sixty years of age, whose main occupation from days of youth has been that of a showman —a conjuror and sleight-of-hand artist. For fifteen or sixteen years, however, he had much travel and adventure.
He happened to be in Belgrade, capital of Serbia, in 1898. He was lucky to get a job as a builder’s labourer. When the Queen Mother, Natalia, heard of the tricks he did to supplement his meagre wages, she ordered a command performance at the palace. The Royal family was delighted with the entertainment, except in one particular. Witte told fortunes, and said it was indicated that King Alexander and his beautiful wife Draga, would be assassinated. This caused indignation and meant his immediate dismissal, but not without being well recompensed for his other clever work. Five years later, as history shows, the Royal couple was murdered and the House of Obrenovich was no more. Peter Karageorgevich was crowned. It seems curious, though true, that in spite of the fact Witte’s prediction was fulfilled, he greatly deplored the killing of King Alexander, whose kindness .and personality evidently impressed him. The more he thought about the assassination, the more his hatred burned against the Serbs in general. Some day, somehow, he determined to avenge the dark deed by a blow at the new Royal House. WITH BOERS AND TURKS. “It unsettled me,” he said. “Then I went off and fought with the Boers against the British in South Africa, took part in several expeditions to Abyssinia and the Nile, and afterwards joined the Foreign Legion, but deserted it- from Morocco. When the last Balkan war broke out 1 was in Constantinople. As I disliked the Serbs I joined up with the Turks, being taken pn soner at Adrianople. With the aid of a German Consul I escaped from captivity. Getting in touch with the Turkish commander-in-chief, I received appointment as a spy, and was- given some very important duty. The country was not m the condition it is in to-day under Kemai Pasha. No money was available to pay me, but instead they gave me a certificate which showed that I had been promoted in rank. So when the Balkan war ended I had no funds, hut the full credentials of a major of the Turkish army. “ Then I thought it was the right time to avenge tho death of King Alexander and his House. After the collapse of European Turkey, there wero in Albania two army corps—the northern army was under the command of Essad Pasha, and the southern army was at Janina. They had no connection with the Turkish territory. Tire southern army corps had been taken hy the Greeks. At the same time the. Serbs had their eyes covetously on Albania, and aimed to get possession of the road to Adria. Here, J thought, Serbia could be given a terrible setback. I decided to make full use of my recognised striking resemblance to the Prince Halim Eddin of Turkey. With ray adjutant, Voltas, I laid a desperate plan. COMMAND IN ALBANIA. “ On behalf of the Sultan I sent to Turkish commanders in Albania a telo'gram stating that the Prince was coining and would-take over all troops in Albania. Because I had a great knowledge of the state of affairs—the enormous disorder—in the Balkans, the risk I took was not, in a sense, as great as it seems, in spite of the impersonation effrontery. When I landed in Durazzo the commanders had not the slightest hesitation or objection to handing over complete control. I reorganised the troops and engaged more Albanese volunteers. From the Albanian mountains I mapped out an offensive to be launched against Macedonia, which was under Servian rule. “My army was full of energy■ and enthusiasm. 1 was accorded a tribute when Essad Pasha came heading a delegation of generals inviting Die to take over the crown of the kingdom of Albania. I accepted, and on February 15. 1913, in the old town of Tirana. I was crowned king with great ceremony. They also provided me with a Royal harem. It was flattering, but all the same I had a conscience and would have been happier if the real prince had my place. Still, I was not without some inward consolation, because J felt that it could be possible to get him to come and I could leave without, anybody knowing it. However, J wanted first to have this fight out against the Serbs. Macedonia evidently got wind of my preparations, for that army intimated its willingness to become allied. HIS REIGN AND TITLE. • “ Suddenly things turned out differently to what I had expected. I found that Prince Halim Eddin, leading a care-free life in Constantinople, was not prepared to take over my crown and responsibilities, which I had acquired under very difficult circumstances. I got no satisfaction from him in the course of telegraphic communications, so my career as one of the crowned heacls of Europe, I decided to terminate after five days on the throne. Like a thief in the night I had to make my escape. So, for Servia, the road for the murder at Serajevo was clear. . “ I received no money during my five davs on the throne, although it would .have been easy for me to raise big sums and bank them. ’I did not. want to be such a thief. 1. have received one thing as a soiiienii of my reign, for the Court of Albania has graciously decided that I am entitled to call myself ‘ Ex-King of Albania.’ That title'is unique in the world.
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Bibliographic details
Evening Star, Issue 21319, 25 January 1933, Page 10
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987ALBANIAN KING Evening Star, Issue 21319, 25 January 1933, Page 10
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