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Show 'i NEW KINQ OF ANNAM. BH Elght-Year-Old Son Succeeds Fero- BBaJ, clous Oriental Father. BBVe Paris. Tho nows recently received BBJ that Than-Thal, tho king or Aiinam, BBB had been forced to abdicate In favor BBBJ of bis eight-year-old son caused not BBJ tho sllghtost Btirprlso hero. Indeed, BBpJ tho only surprising fcaturo of tho af- BpJ fair was that the' French resident had BBpJ allowed Than-Thal to reign as long BpJ as ho did. BBJ - Tlmn-Thal was placed on tho throne BpJ by tho French In 1889, In succession BBJ to King Dong-Khan. He was then ten I m W years old. From tho first ho exhibited BBBJ a character of n fiendish nnture, nnd BV It has always been a matter for crltl- BBH clsm that those who woro responsible BBV for his elevation to tho throno Bhould BBS not havo tnton tho trouble to ills- BBS cover tho nature of tho child thoy BBS chose, or, nt any rate, havo lourncd ot BBS) tho tendencies ho bo soon developed. HBBf The mistake has not been repeated. BBX Tho new rulor, who Is Thnn-Thnl's sec- BBf ond son, Is only nominally tho king, BbWu and for a long period tho country will Bjpji? "lly bo ruled by the French rosldont BBS. K How many of tho stories of the BBM ntiocltloa po'rpotrated by Thnn-Tha! BBS nro true nobody knows, but enough Is BBS known to make It evident that ovon BBSC- tho terrlblo records of Asiatic royal BBB barbarities can show fow human B" monsters equal to htm. It Is said that BBS be found his favorite pastlmo in tor- K turlng hi subjects with tho most ox BBS traordlnury refinement ot cruelty, and BH that on many occasions tho victims BBfl wcro bis own wives. Recently. It U BBS stated, ho had seven of tuuni executed BBh BBTsL'' nt onco, and tho body of ono or theiu women, who had Incurred his special enmity, whs cooked and served at dinner din-ner to hlB household. Others of his wives woro boiled In oil, nnd various members of tho royal household wcro thrown Into tho cages of wild beasts, tho king looking on with delight. At about tho samo tlmo, It was ro ported, Than-Thal, with his own hand shot and killed a prlnco 70 years old, a member of tho Council of tho Royal Family nnd tho last surviving son ol , King Mlnh-Mang. Whon the French ' resident protested, tho king replied b) 1 forbidding him to enter tho palace. ' It Is said that In tho king's seraglio ; woro 1,000 wives and other women and their servants. Onco they en ! terod tho royal household thoy wcr j never permitted to leave It. Many ot ) tho wives woro recruited from th i ranks of tho nctrcsses at the roya. theater. |
