The Sun.
London, England, 1864-12-27 00:00:00

Murder of Two Wives by an Arab.

A singular trial recently took place before a oouncil of
war at Constantine in Algeria, a man having 0 answer to
the charge of murdering his two wives. The evidence re-
vealed many curious traits of Arab life, and showed how
the natives understand and apply their rights as husbands,
and how they punish adulterous wives.

Ali Ben Taber, of the Mzelona tribe, bad two consorts,
Fatma-ben-el-Ady-Belkassen and Couika-ben-Lakden-ben-
Kipuf. Both were remarkably beautiful, and on this ac-
count their husband had paid a considerable sum of money
for them. Ali-ben-Tabar was eleepiag under his tent, and
on awaking and casting a glance around he was astonished
at not seeing his wives reposing on their mats at his side.
He left his tent and carefully inspected the vicinity of his
dwelling. At a short distance, under a clump of trees, he
fancied ho heard a sound of voices. He advanced slowly,
like a leopard about to seize his prey, but at this moment
some clouds which bad obscured the moon passed awahand
as the flood of pale light suddenly shed upon the earth re'
vealed his form, two men instantly ran from under the
trees and took to flight. The distance was too great to allow
Tabar to overtake them, and besides this his immediate ob-
ject was to know if his two wives, or one of them, had been
false to him, He soon reached the trees whence two women
flew towards his tent. These fugitives were Belkassen and
Kipuf. The Arab quickly appeared before them, and
stantly they were ordered to fall on their knees. The man-
date was immediately obeyed, but their prayers find suPPli-
cations met with but one response—" Their names." Tea"
and sobs were redoubled, but Tabar reiterated in a stern
voice his demand to know who the men were who had taken
to flight on his approach. Receiving no reply, ho seized a
stout stick, and ceased not to shower blows upon the faith-
less women till he know that they were dead. Two other
women, relatives of Tabar, attracted by the shrieks for
mercy, quitted their tents and became spectators of the tragic
scone, but whether it was that they considered the husband
to be taking lawful vengeance, or whether they feared his
rage would cause him to turn upon them, they remained
silent and motionless.

At daybreak Tabar left his tent and presented himself be-
fore the officer in charge of the Arab bureau, to whom he
said, "I have killed my two wives I I have avenged my
outraged honour I" and this avowal he repeated when e%a"
mined in the preliminary stages of the judicial inquiry. 1“
the trial eight witnesses proved the facts, and two of them,
called at the request of the father of one of the women,
said the cause of the quarrel which had arisen between the
accused and his victims was idleness on their part. Theill:
terpreter to the council observed that this assertion might
very properly be doubted, as the father would have a double
motive in inducing the Court to believe in the truth of his
witnesses' statements, for if relied on, the stain of dishoaouf
would not attach to the memory of his daughter, and i°
addition, he would be entitled to recover damages against
the husband. Tabar, in his examination, said—" I pur-
chased I hese women. for 200 douros, and by killing them
have lost that amount. If I had considered my money be-
fore my honour I should have let them live."
The judge of the tribunal urged that the penal law should
be carried out, admitting, however, that the council might
take into consideration the excuse of the accused, founded
~
on the flagrant crime of adultery ; but the council, takinta
into consideration the facts and circumstances, and the out-
raze done to the husband, pronounced a sentence of acquitttlh