en had died suddenly, cause of
death unknown, but bullet wounds found in the bodies.

Later came full details. According to Belgrade papers a revolution
had been planning for three months and there were secret committees
all over the country; that the decision to slaughter both King and
Queen had been taken by the Corps of Officers at Belgrade, and the
work entrusted to the 6th Infantry Regiment; that the band of
assassins gained access to the Palace at 11 p.m.; and, as the King
refused to open the door of his bedroom, it was blown in by Colonel
Naumovitch with a dynamite cartridge the explosion of which killed
its user.

What followed was a shambles. The bodies of the victims, still
breathing, but riddled with bullets, were pitched from the window.
Draga, fortunately for herself, expired at once. But the luckless
Alexander lingered till 4 a.m.

According to current report the assassins, drunk with wine and
blood, fell on the bodies and defiled them most filthily, even
cutting portions of Draga's skin, which they dried and preserved as
trophies. An officer later showed a friend of mine a bit which he
kept in his pocket book.

Alexander was a degenerate. His removal may have been desirable. But
not even in Dahomey could it have been accomplished with more
repulsive savagery. And the Russian Minister, whose house was
opposite the Konak, calmly watched the events from his window.
Having wreaked their fury on the bodies, the assassins rushed to
kill also Draga's two brothers, one of whom it was rumoured was to
be declared heir to the throne by Alexander. Some seventeen others
were murdered that night and many wounded. These details we learned
later.

The afternoon of the 11th passed with excitement enough. Evening
came and we went in to dinner. Upon each table, in place of the
usual programme of the evening's performance at the theatre, lay a
black edged sheet of paper informing us that the Serbian travelling
company then playing in Cetinje "in consequence of the death of our
beloved Sovereign King Alexander" had closed the theatre till
further notice. The tourist table was occupied solely by my sister
and myself; the diplomatic one solely by Mr. Shipley, who was
temporarily representing England, and Count Bollati, the Italian
Minister. Dinner passed in complete silence. I was aching to have
the opinion of the exalted persons at the other table on the
startling news, but dared not broach so delicate a subject. The e