The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1881-07-22
JUSTICE IN AFRICA.
The OrigIns1 shape the BIfad Goodies.
Sometimes Assumes There.

[Houbbs Seven Years in South Africa."1
a Barol0ng. quite advanced in years
had set his affections upon fatherless
girl of fifteen, living in the town; she
peremptorily refused to become his wife,
and as he could not afford to buy her, he
devised cunning stratsgem to obtain
ner. He offered his hand to the girls
mother, who did not hesitate 70 accept
him !; by thus marrying the mother, he
secured the residence Of the daughter N
his own quarters; the near intercourse,
he hoped, would overcome her Fepug
nance to himself; but neither his aP
pearance nor his conversation, mainly
relating to his wealth in cattle, had the
least effect In altering her disposition
toward him. Accordingly, he resoFted
to the Inyaka. Aware of the pains that
were being taken to force her into the
marriage the girl carefully avoided every
action that could be interpreted as sign
of regard. As she was starting off to the
fields one morning to her usual work, her
stepfather called her back, and II her
5wn story was true, the following con-
versati6n took place:
IGftI know you hate me, he SAID,
: "E4he, .e-heH T. she assented.
F" Well, well, SO must II be = he an
swered, but he stamped his staff with
rage ON the ground. 4+f SUI
+ 7'fYes. so must it be" replied she.
"But you must promise me, " he con
tinued, :" that you Will not marry an
other husband. r" g -,a
ssNa-ya," she cried, bursting out
laughing maya"
Then I'll poison you," he yelled.
The girl, according to her own ac-
count, was alarmed and went and told
her mother aud another woman, who
were working close by the river. They
tried TO reassure her, telling her that her
stepfather was only in joke, but they did
not allay her apprehensions.
j That very evening, while she was
taking her simple supper of Watermelon
he called her off and sent her on some
message when she returned she finished
| her meal, but in the course of an hour
or two she was writhing in most violent
agony. In the height of her sufferings
she reminded her mother and the friends
who had gathered round her of what had
transpired in the morning, Her shneks
of pain grew louder and louder, aud
when they were silenced she was uncon-
scious. Before midnight she was a
corpse. ..#H.. f...
10 The stepfather was, of course, marked
out as the murderer; the evidence to be-
produced against him seemed inconte8tl-
bic: the old man had actually been seen
gathering leaves and tubers in the fore
noon. which re had afterward boiled III
his own courtyard The accused, bow
ever, was one of Molems's adherents :
he had served him faithfully for half a
century, and Molema accordingly felt It
his duty to do everything in his power
to protect him, so he sent over Moshah-
eng for Montsua to come and take the
office of Judge at the trial. He was in
the midst of the inquiry when | arrived.
i Meanwhile, the defendant had COM
plete liberty; he might for the time be-
summed by the population, but he
walked about the streets as usual, trust
ing thoroughly to Molema's clemency
and influence, and certain that he should
| be able to buy himself of with few
1 bullocks. ~. tse'. b. 'a.
| & The trial lasted two days; AFTER each
sitting the court was entertained with
boehabe, sort of meal-pap.
The evidence was conclusive; the YER
dict of ''guiEty was unanimous. Mont
sua said he should have been bound TO
pass a sentence of death, but Molems
had assured him there were many exten-
uating circumstances and taking all
things into account, he considered 1t
best to leave the actual sentence IN his
hands. Molema told the convicted man
| to keep out of the way for few days
until Montsua ceased to think about the
matter, and then sending for him, as
he strolled about, passed the judgment
that he should forfeit COW as peace
offering to the deceased girls next OF
t Kin, the next OF kin in this case being his
wife and himself. s-.. -. ..