Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1884-08-29
MOROCCO.
Examples Illustrating the Cruelty of
the MoorS

Some time ago. writes a Tangier
correspondent for the London Times,
aa American merchant named How
land visited Morocco, and was iu-
formed of a wealthy family who were
subject to great persecution from the
governor of the district in which they
resided, who was continually robbing
them, and he consulted the American
vice consul at Casa Blanca as to the
best way of aiding them. He was
told that the only way would be to
advance them some money and en-
ploy them to purchase Moorish
merchandise for him, appointing
them his semSaars, or commercial
agents. under the terms of the treaty
of Madrid. This he promptly did, but
no sooner did the news reach the gov
ernor than he laid horrible plot to
get them within his power again. The
dead body of a man, said to have
been murdered, was carried at night
and laid at or near their door, and
upon returning to their home they
were seized, heavily chained, and
thrown into prison.
At the time when the murder was
said TO have been committed they
were with Capt. Cobb, tie American
vice consul OF Dasa Blanca, fully
seven hundred miles from the scene
of the alleged crime. Capt. Cobb, on
hearing the story, proceeded at once
to the spot and proved most conclu-
sively that the alleged murder could
not have been perpetrated by them,
and the governor promised to release
them, but could not do so without
certain formalities. The end of these
formalities has not yet been reached,
and meanwhile the poor fellows are
slowly dying. 1 hear that the case
mas been referred to the government
at Washington.
Recently another American gentle
man called upon me and related the
following story: He was borne in
Morocco, and speaks Moghrebin like a
native. He said that some months
ago he went with his wife to pay a
visit to relative residing in Casa
Blanca, and one day, while there, a
Moorish youth of about IS years or so,
pale and thin with want and misery,
IN tattered garments of fine texture
that spoke of better days, fell at his
wife's feet and entreatded her to take
hum into her service to save his life
She spoke to her husband, and an in
vestigation took place, with the aid of
Capt. Cobb, which revealed the fol-
lowing fact: The lads father was
extremely wealthy, and lent large
sums of money to French merchant
without interests, in return for which
lie received French protection; but
after some years they had dispute,
and the Moorish gentleman not only
| refused to advance any more money,
but demanded the payment of at
least some portion of the debt then
| due to him, and was on board a ship
on his way to Mecca, when the
Frenchman bargained with the gov
ernor of the district to withdraw
French protection from the rio
Moor, his creditor, for the sum of So,
| 600. The Moor was seized on ship
board brought back, and thrown into
prison, charged with being concerned
in some crime. All his movable pro-
perty was forth with seized and sold.
and it is said ut least $40, 600 in gold
were confscated. His wife with her
son, fed and price Was offered for
their discovery, but happily this
American gentleman appeared on the
scene, and the lad was fortunate
enough to get to the lady and tell his
tale. The gentleman at once took
advantage of the terms of the Madrid
convention and made the lad his
semsaar. Upon hearing of this, the
governor tried to buy the lad, and
actually offered the American 5000
for him 1t is needless to say that
this vile offer met with a contemptu-
Gus refusal. The lads poor father
died in the horrible dungeon to which
he Rad been consigned.