A KING'S MURDER. REASON WHY MILAN, MONARCH OF SERVIA, REIGNS TO-DAY.

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 135, 2 January 1886, Page 5

A KING'S MURDER. REASON WHY MILAN, MONARCH OF SERVIA, REIGNS TO-DAY.

A Tragedy Which Connects this Generation of Servians with the Last.— A Dire Feud Between Families.

The veal motive of the reported advance of the army of King Milan into Bulgaria is to be found in tho support indirectly given by Bulgaria to Prince Karageorgevicz, son-in-law of the Montenegrin Prince, and the rival to the throne of Servia. The latter country has always been governed either by a member of the Karageorgo viczor of the Gbrenovicz family. Tho Karageorgevicz were (leaders in cattK and the Obrenovicz cattle raisers. The business con • flictsusually existingin old times between the twofamilies.oneof which purchased for niarkettheproductof the other were carried into the palaces of Belgrade and Nisc, after these original cattlemen had been made princes. These conflicts and hatreds pre served their brutal character; diplomacy had little to do with the alternate overthrow of the rulers of Servia. They usually fell through those mysterious poison and dagger conspiracies inherent to Oriental palaces. Ono of the most tragical among these frequent princely quarrels was the murder of Prince Michael, in 1368 ; and it may haunt his nephew and successor, King Milan, who declaimed that he launched ■ Servia into the war through fear of losing his Lhrono. or, rather, his life, at the hand of some Karageorgevicz, the hereditary enemy of the Obrenovicz family. The assassination of Prince Michael was graphically related by Mrs Elodie Lawton Mijatovicz, soon after it occurred. According to her recital, signs of the coming horror were observed in March and April, 1868, Notorious leaders of tho.. Karageorgvicz party were seen In and about Belgrade, holding frequent and but half-COncealed intarcoarae with the known enemies of the prince. The organs of the opposition (some of them notoriously in the pay of Karageorgevicz) charged the Ministry with inventing the "fable of a conspiracy existing in order to deceive the Prince and prolong their miserable existence as a Govex'nment." The Ministry had, however, positive proof of the existence of this conspiracy, but the Princo (although he received many anonymous letters warning him of his danger) ordered his Ministry to take no steps in the matter until they had more convincing evidence, as he did not wish to have the history of the coinplot of 1864 repeated. Within a half-hour's drive of Belgrade there is a park belonging to the nation, called Topschidere. Here is the summer residence of the Prince, and also a State prison containing some 500 or 600 criminals. Topschidere lies between low hills, and is watered by the small river or brook from which it derives its name. The surrounding heights are covered with a thick growth of oak and linden, and a large space is enclosed as a deer park. Prince Michael had caused a path three feet wide to be cut through the woods, and the dark, shadowy walk became his favourite summer resort. On summer afternoons he walked there with two or three members of his family, and attended only by an adjutant and a footman. This custom of the Prince was well known to the conspirators (as it was, indeed, to the majority of the citizens of Belgrade) and they resolved to avail themselves of ifc in the accomplishment of their murderous design.

The Conspiracy Arranged. The chief of the conspirators was a certain Paul Radowanovicz, the attorney ot Alexander Karageorgevicz. His younger brother, also a lawyer, was confined in prison, having been condemned for forgery. Svetozal Nenadovicz, a cousin of the wife of the ex-Prince, being director of the prison and park of Topschidere, greatly facilitated the execution of the complot, tempted, it is said, by the promised reward of a large estate. This Nenadovicz and the two brothers Radowanovicz, in conjunction with another prisoner convicted of wife murder arranged dataila of the proposed assassination. Three of the boldest conspirators were to meet the Prince suddenly as he walked in his favourite wood path. The deed done, they were to notify, by signals prearranged, Paul Radowanovicz, who was to haye a carriage waiting, and who would hurry to Belgrade with the news. Some of his associates were to wait for him before the barracks, on the Topschidere road, and on his coming, hasten to put to death some of the more resolute Ministers, and take the Government into- their own hands. A list of persons who were to replace the higher state officials was drawn up in readiness, and also the project of a new constitution, which waß immediately to be proclaimed in the name of Peter Karageorgevicz, the sod of the ex-Prince. The 29th of May (10th of June, N. S.)i, dawned bright and sunny, and in the afternoon Piince Michael drove out, as usualt to make His favourite promenade in the deer park. With him -were his old aunt, Mme. Tomaniya, and her daughter and granddaughter, Madame Anka and Mademoiselle Catherine Constantinovicz. He was attended by one adjutant, a son of ex-Minister Garashanin, and a lackey. When already far advanced on the narr jW wood , path, the Prince and Madame Constantinovcz being followed at a short dia tauce by old Madame Tomaniya and> her

g^ahHdiftughtOTi;,th6y,were abruptly met by Jtour". men£- Radpwanoviez, the, convicted tfofget'; M^npsV;the. 'wife-killer; a Jthird* broth" er iß'adowanovioz. a, notoriously feror cious 'man [and; adesperate fellow named Bogies, who had Bleriiformerly in the" state service, but of late^ithout any definite ocoupation^These. menmbved aside, with apparenfc"3eferehde/ as tKe Prince advanced, and when hehadpaßsedjfiredßimultaneouely their revolvers at him.; J Ail the shots told, Prince Michael fell forward and died almost instantly Madame Ank'a was mortally wounded arid died, still insensible, a,bout two hours later. Her daughter .was also wounded, but able still tojDScape, and recovered after a linger-, ing illness. The adjutant, Svetzar Garnaahanin, was lightly grazed by a ball on his aword wristband fainted with the pain. The Prince's* aunt Madame Tomaniya, raD away, shrieking for:help, and the lackey followed, if, indeed, he had not preceded her.

Prince Milan Made King. The deed done, the preconcerted signal wae given, and Paul Radowanovicz hastened to the city to carry the news to his fellow - conspirators, and follow up the Prince's murder with those of the Ministers already resolved on. But the assassins, to make themselves quite sure of the Prince's death—maddened, as ferocious beasts are said to bej with the sight of blood—had lost minutes, invaluable to the successful completion of their scheme, in cutting and slashing the dead bodies. Some forty knife-wounds were counted on the corpse of the Prince. Then- the carriage of Paul Radowanovicz broke down on the way to the city, and thus rime again was lost so that the news of the terrible deed had reached Belgrade before him. When he at last arrived he found the whole city in horrified and indignant excitement; the garrisons were under arms; artillery aud cavalry were ready to start at a moment's warning to any suspicious place. The War Minister, N. Pebiovicz Blaznavotz, was master of the situation. Ho had been the familiar friend of Prince Michael, and his confidant and counsellor in all plans for the new military organization. To his prompt resolution the country is indebted lor its escape from tho shame of seeing hiad3 yet red with guiltless blood of tho d<-ad Prince grasping the reins of government, and from the probable concoquenoes of this a relentless and embittered civil war. Many of the conspirators were executed. Meanwhile, Milan, tho son of Milosh Obrenovicz (who was the son of Prince Milosh's brother Yophrem), was proclaimed Prince Regent of Servia. Tho Assembly met and expressed the deep regret of the nation for its late generous and patriotic Prince, and its loyalty and sympathy for the young Obrenovicz, who was called so suddenly to so difficult a post. A law was passed securing the hereditary dignity of Prince of Servia to the male descendants of the family of the Obrenovicz. In case of a failure of direct heirs in the male branch, the succession was to pass to the male descendants of the daughters of Prince Milosh. The assembly unanimously decreed also, that Karageorgevicz and his descendants should be excluded forever from the throne of Servia Prince Milan, the present King of Servia, was only 14 years cf age at that time. He was called from Paris, where he was pursuing in the Lyceum of Louis le Grand his university course of studies ; and he hastened to Belgrade with his private tutor, Prof. Huet, a celebrated French philosopher. A council of Regency was formed ; young Milan grew up in years, and in political ability, po much bo that he succeeded in being made King of Servia, with the agreement of the European powers, after the Russo Turkish war and the Berlin Conference of 1868.