Show BELGIUMS KING PASSES AWAY One of the Best Known Figures In the Old World Loses In Struggle With Grim Reaper T Brussels King Leopold died at 235 oclock Thursday morning his aged and wasted body being unable to stand the strain put upon it by the operation performed a few days ago The collapse occurred suddenly and at a moment when the doctors I seemingly had the greatest hopes for his recovery The end came quickly and after a spell of weakness peacefully Prince Albert arrived at the deathbed about twentyfive minutes later The kings coolness and courage in the heroic struggle won tho admiration admira-tion of all for at no time did he seem Sautter the result Now that he Is dead it is believed t that he was ablo to survive so long by the sheer force of his mentality Leopold II king of the Belgians son of the late King Leopold I upon whose death otv December 10 1865 he succeeded to the throne was born at Brussels April 9 1837 His father was the former Prince of SaxeCo burgGotha and his mother Princess Louise daughter of King Louis Phil hippo of France On August 22 1853 ho married the Archduchess Marie Henrietta daughter of Archduke Joseph of Austria Aus-tria She died September 19 1902 There were three daughters born of this unionLouise Stephanie ana Clementine Tho two elder princesses prin-cesses have been estranged from their father but Clementine remained in his affections There being no direct hereldtary heir the crown passes to Prince Albert Al-bert the only son of Leopolds brother broth-er the late Phllllpe Count of Flanders Flan-ders The new monarch was born on April 8 1875 and on October 2 1900 married Princess Elizabeth of Bavaria They have three children Pilnco Leopold 8 years old Prince Charles 6 years old and Princess MarieJose 3 years old While always conspicuous before the public on account of the nature of hH private life particularly in recent years King Leopold has recently had much of the world against him on account of his attitude towards the Congo Independent State His great Interest lay in the development of that country for he was practically practi-cally the founder of It and was Its ruling sovereign |