Wilmington daily commercial., 1873-03-07
GENERAL
rorturs IN 80 East.

NOW THE BEY or rurfs RuKnHEs DISHONEST REV
ENuE ooIIEufons-A A TERRIBLE soEnk ON TEE
SITE or AEcfHHr CARTHAGE
Theodorus Of Abyssinis has been considered
the most cruel and blood-thirsty fulsr of modrsn
times but he has rival sovereign who lives
nearer the confines Of civilization, nnd whose
atrocioua conduct ahold arouse the iLdignAtion
OF humane people throughout the world. That
sovereign 70 the present bey or Tunis, whose
whole career since he became ruler OF his coun-
try has been marked by arbitrary oppression and
crueltiea. A few Of the aged sheiks Of his coun-
try who had known his character before he suc-
ceeded his fathers mild and smiable prince.
urged his mother to let her younger son ascend
the throne of Tunis. The heir apparent heard
OF this, and with the help OF few OF his boon
companions he seized the reins Of Government.
No sooner was he in power than he vented his
spite upon the aforementioned men. Not only
we're nine Of his victims bastinadoed In the most
msrciless manner. but the eyes and tongues OF
them were torn out. and they we're thrown In
this terrible and utterly helpless condition, in
the middle Of July, into desert spot, where
they pershed miseraby, prey to the pitiess
rays Of scorching African sun. and the equally
pitiless beaks Of vfitures and buzzards. From
that time the reign Of the Bey Of Tunis has been
marked by deeds OF cruelty which, II they have
not become generally kuswn, becsuse perpetrat-
ed upon persons OF humber conditions In life
than the illustrious victims mentioned above,
have been none the less heinous. The Boy OF
Tunis is the Supreme Judge in his country. He
tries criminals. and orders their immediate execu-
ton after hearing the case or he annua the de-
crees Of the Kadis II they do not suit him, and
puuiahes the unfortunate prisoners according to
his pleasure.
oa the 9Th Of November last the Bey was In
more towering passion that ever before. He is
an extravagant liver, and spends more money
than the taxes OF Tunis yield TO him. During
the second empire he negotiated heavy loan in
France and some greedy Italian bankers have
also advanced him large sums at exorbitant in
-. N-aela 10 - n.
Tunis pays his editors for that country punctu-
ally, but has little respect for Italy, and last
summer several italian men-of-wsr had TO threat
en- his capital with bombardment before he made
arrangements for paying the interestdue TO Itsi-
ian bankers. Being thus constant prey 10
financial embayrassments, he does not lie to be
swindled by his tax oolleotors Now on the
above mentioned 9th Of November, he received
Trustworthy information that three Of them,
Badu-Ben- -Hskm, Aldu- BEN Fesi and Diakr-Bes-
Legu, had for years committed defalcations upon
the Beys treasury, accounting for only two
thirds Of the takes they had collected. The Beg
sent for the faithless collectors, and after tell
ing them about their misdeeds, demanded whs
they were going to do about It. The three men
were 80 frightened by the anger OF His Highness
that they fell upon their knees and confessng
their crime. implored his mercy.
The Bey, unable to control his rage, sprang to
his feet and crying. ''you shall did, dogs I" or
dered the Kadi OF TunIs to appear before him
aud try the prisoners in accordance with the old
Moslem law. The Kadi appeared. found the
prisoners guilty, and asked the Bey what punish
ment should be inflicted. The Ksdi told him Il ct
the law was that those who stole money FROM
the exchequer OF the Oaliph, the Sultan, or one
Of his yAssals should be impaled. Let them be /
impaled then" said the Boy. Vainly did the /
prisoners implore his mercy. The Bey rem NAMED /
inflexibe, and the cruel sentence was carried in
to execution on the morning Of the following
day. An escort Of fifty soldiers took the three
condemned men TO 9 sand mound on which had |
been erected the three instruments on which
Thedoomed men looked detected but had reach
ed that hrmness which characterizes the Moslem
when he knows that deGth Is inevitable. Those
three instruments Of an agonizing death were
strong iron spits about ten feet high.
About five feet from the ground there was
heavy nail through each of the spits. When the |
criminals reached the foot Of the mound they
were seized by six executioners. They quickly |
undressed the three doomed men. Two OF them
placed high step-ladder close TO one OF the |
spits-two OF them held the ladder, SO that 1t |
did not fall-And one, q fellow Of herculean |
strength carried Badu Bsn-Hakim up toward the 1
point Of spit. Raising the unfortunate man /
above II, he put him upon the spit. The victim /
uttered a wild scream as the cold iron entered /
his fiesh and seized the spit with his hand. but
the executioner pressed down heavily until he /
reached the cross nail. Fortunately for the |
sufferer, he died almost instantly.
The same atrocieus operation was then per-
formed upon Aldu-Ben-Fesi. He had seen the |
torture which his wretched predecessor had to |
undergo, and struggled feeby when the pitiless |
hand Of the executioner seized him. The victim |
lived two OF three minutes after he had been
impaled, uttering feeble moans, and presenting |
al appearance than which nothing could be i'm
agined more horrible. The third oulprit seemed |
utterly indifferent to his fate and died with sang
froid Of true Moslem L