THE SERVIAN TRAGEDY

Otago Witness, Issue 3003, 4 October 1911, Page 33

THE SERVIAN TRAGEDY

BELGRADE, September 26. A lawyer named Novakovics has published some revelations concerning the murders of the King and Queen of Servia in 1903. Novakovics states that he obtained same chloroform for the purpose of chloroforming King Alexander in a vineyard until the plot was consummated, and that thereafter he was to be either exiled or killed. The Servian eleotions in 1903 resulted in the return of a Skuptschdna absolutely homogenous in its support of the Government, not' one Opposition candidate being allowed to obtain election. It was rumoured that with such a skuptschina the succession would be settled in favour of the Queen's brother, and an anti-dynastic plot, which had been brewing for some time, came to a head. Late at night on June 10 the palace at Belgrade was surrounded by troopa under the direction of Colonel Mashin, an« a number of officers headed by Colonel Nauimovitch, who was killed during the melee, forced their way into the palace. Their progress to the Royal apartments was hindered by General Patrovitch and Captain Milkovitch, both of whom were killed, and King Alexander and Queen Draga were murdered and their bodies thrown from tho windows to the ground below. The Queen's brothers were also killed, and the Premier, General Markovitch, and other Ministers were shot King Peter Karageorgevitch was then proclaimed King. Some of the murderers were sentenced to various terms of imprisonment, with the loss of their commisisions.