THE ROYAL TRAGEDY.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 63, 20 March 1913, Page 5

THE ROYAL TRAGEDY.

| tHE KING’S LAST WALK.

“LONG LIVE KING CONSTANTINE.” j (By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.’' (United Press Association.) Salonika, March 19. The King, at half-past five, left i King Nicholas’s residence, accompan- ’ icd by bis aide, Colonel Frankoudis. I Just as be was terminating his usual j walk, a bullet struck him in the heart, ' and he fell into the arms of his aide-de--1 camp and two soldiers, who were at- ' tracted to the scene by the firing. ; He was conveyed in a carriage to the ! military hospital, but died in the carj riage.

King Nicholas summoned the officers to the hospitals, and announced the death in a voice choked with, sobs, and inviting them to swear fealty to King Constantine. AH gave the oath amid cries of “Long Live King Constantine !” There are signs of mourning on all sides. Schinas is aged forty, and declared himself a socialist. His impassive and evasive demeanour suggests that he is irresponsible. ROYAL CONDOLENCES. London, March 19. The King is coming to London today to condole with Queen Alexandra.

MOSLEM INDIGNATION

A meeting of Moslems in London received the news with cries of “Shame on the assassins,” whose nationality and other details were then unknown.

THE KING’S LAST MOMENTS

Salonika, March 19

Queen Olga, who has been inspecting the hospitals at Preveza, is now in Athens, and is coming on to Salonika, where King Constantine will join her. There have been many rumors lately of King George abdicting in Prince Constantine’s favour after the celebrations of his jubilee, which were fixed for September. The King was chatting with his. aide-de-camp, Frankotidis, on the capture of Salonika and Janina, which lie said were a fitting climax to fifty years’ reign. To-morrow jhe intended to visit the German Dreadnought Goeben, which had come in honour of the Greek King to Salonika. “That fills me with happiness and contentment,” he said. Those were his last words, and he was immediately shot in the heart. Fraakoudis sprang round and seized the mfesassin’s hand, which was poised for a second shot, covering the King nit'll his body. t'Yankoudis grabbed the assailant until passing soldiers ran up.

Schinas states that he was driven to desperation by sickness and want, inttjclv^ 6 King refused to give him money. SCENE AT THE CAPITAL. Jo‘s) IT ;IJ :v i CONSTERNATION AND MOURNING. ' ’ D • (Received 8.25 a.m.) Athens, March 19. The sensation- dausod by the tragedy is not describable. The capital is i). a state of consternation. The streets were still full at midnight. The squares, the environs of the Palace residences of the Ministers, and the newspaper offices are edged in black. The pboplo all refuse to believe that a Greek was capable of assassinating their King. LONDON CONDOLENCES. (Received 9.15 a.m.) London, March IN. Flags in London were half-masted. Queen Alexandra is better. She received hundreds of messages and many visitors, including King Geoige, President Manoel Arriaga, of Porta gal, and his mother.

THE ASSASSIN AFRAID OF THI CROWD.

(Received 9.15 a.m.) Athens, March 19. Schoinas asked the police to pro teefc him from the crowd. His college acquaintances declared ho had lived abroad and had lately returned to Salonika. General Danglish succeeds Prince Constantino as Commander-in-Chief. NEW ZEALAND’S CONDOLENCES.

Tim am, March 19. Mr Massey sent the following telegram to the Governor to-day : “The Prime Minister presents his compliments and respectfully requests His Excellency to telegraph to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, expressing on behalf of the Government and the people of New Zealand their horror at the assassination of His Majesty King George of Greece, and also their sincere sympathy with the bereaved Royal Family and the Greek nation. The Prime Minister further suggests that a message he sent exi pressing the sincere sympathy of the 1 Government and the people of New Zealand with Her Majesty Queen Alexjandra, in the assassination of her broil her, King George of Greece.”