Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1884-04-24
A Moorish Abduction.

The follow ng incident OF Moorish
life, which oc urred a few weeks ago,
thoro ghly illustrates he state of inse-
curity to which the natives are sub ect
and which appears to be the normal
condition OF their existence in Morocco.
One day an American and an English
officer were riding ong the beach and
when about two mile; from Tan yier
per eived a group of fishermen who ap-
peared to have some alteration with Il
truculent-looking Moor, armed with the
usual long firelock. On seeing the
horsemen approach some four or five
men, accom- anied by a looking
Moorish girl of about seventeen years
of az separated from the crowd and
called out that the am d Moor had
been trying to car y off he girl by rec,
threatening at the same time to kill her
if she resisted. While this explanation
was going on the man o. whom the COM
plain. was made had taken to his heels
and. being good runner, ad gained
a considerable distance when the two
gentlemen rode after him.
lind ng himself pursued he made for
a rver, which he waded across up to
his middle. His pursuers plunged in
afterward, and on being hard pressed
the Moor again waded the river. Three
times this maneuver was executed, but
at last the two gentlemen came up with
the fugitive, whom they captured and
disarmed. TIL y then gave the fellow
in charge to the fishermen, who had
now arrived on the spot, having fol-
lowed the chase on foot, and sent him,
ACCOMPANIED by the Moorish girl, to the
fort. where the khalifa administers JUS
tice. The girl, Rachma Halfsoutz by
name, stated that, about two months
AGO, she was enticed by two women to
take a walk with them on the beach.
When q short distance from the town
two armed Moors suddenly made their
appearance and carried her off by force
to the village of FL Menaar. Here the
men were Joined by a third. and she
was detained BY them, being continually
subjected to brutal outrages.
After about fortnight she was taken
to the village of Imgoha, and from that
to eni Hassan, near Tetuan, where
her captors met q party of mountain
eers. and now the girl discovered from
a conyersat on which she overheard
that an arrangement was being made
40 cell her as slave to these men. The
harvain. however, not being completed
at once she was taken to village near
Tore Blanquille, on the coast. and not
far from Tangier. During the temper
airy absence of two of the Moors the cap
tive contrlved to elude the vigilance of
the t2.ird. and secured hisp niard, which
she concealed about her person, intend
inc to de end herself if driven to extrem-
ity. She then slipped quietly out of the
village, and. once clear, ran as fast as
she was able in the dire ton of Tangier.
After her departure sore time elapsed
before the man in whose cha &c the girl
had been left discovered that she had
made her escape; but then. having
armsd himself with loaded gun he
started in hot pu suit. oses taking his
victim on the beach. whe she had en-
countered some fishermen. who were
drawing in their nets. and from whom hon,
~. -. ,sonnt. she appeal 8 to havereceived
The most brutal treatment while q pris-
c e - n she was constantly required to
DO through the native Moorish dances;