Morning journal and courier., 1885-09-05


 the children back to school, or his own occu- pations call him away from the sea.
 The case of M. Olivier Pain, the adven- turous Frenchman who was foreign minister to the Mahdi, has entered new phase. M. Henri Rochefort, editor of the Intransigeant, published yesterday letter from certain MT. Selikovitsch calling himself "ex-inter- preter of the British army in the Soudan, , in which this gentleman undertakes to prove that M. Pain had price of e50 set upon his head by Major Kitchener and was captured and shot. M. Rochefort is perhaps the wit tiest of Parisian journalists, but his bitter wit has never been employed, am sorry to say, except to SOW hatred between his coun- trymen or between them and foreigners Even to the Commune, which he loved, he made opposition to be true to his calling. However, the charges are made with such as surance and precision that I cannot help hoping that England will think it worth her while to repudiate them officially Here are the facts as related by MT. Sslikovitsch: On the 18th of April two spies came to Debbeh saying that six miles from the camp they had seen a European who, although dressed like native, had great difficulty in making him. self understood in Arabic. When the spies had described the man Major Kitchener, to whom their account was translated, ex- claimed, ''That is the famous Pain,'; and rushed off to tell General Wood Without a moments loss of time nine or ten Bashi Ba- zouks were sent out in all directions in search of the Frenchman. This Major Kitch- ener conceived the idea of setting a price on the head of the French adyenturer, and a notice was got up in Arabic and circulated next day offering f50 reward to his capturer. At two in the afternoon of the same day." continues the writer, "a copy of this notice was telegraphed to London. The bearer of the telegram, man named Finney, Sir Owen Lanyon's orderly, meeting me near the tele- graph office, accosted me with broad grin on his Irish face and asked me if did not want to earn $50, at the same time showing me the telegram, which was not even en- closed In an envelope, so great had the haste been. On the 17th 1 went to see the Sheik Khalil, who had got up the notice in Arabic. But before had put a question to him he began with winnings and tears to beg me to write him petition in English He wanted to protest against the injustice of making him share the e50 which he had Honestly earned' with those vagabond Bashi Bazouks. "What is the matter!" I said, ''what is it all abouta' "Dont you know that I yesterday captured the Frenchman who wanted to kill Wolseley-you know the great pasha Wolse- this Frenchmang' ssAt Abou Dom." 'tHas Kitchener Boy seen him since he was made prisoner?' "Oh, yesi yesterday 'sWhat is to be done to hims" 'sOhl they will put him to death tomorrow" Here our conver- sation was interrupted by the entrance of a negro servant of Major Kitchener's, who presence. But knew enough. Next day, the 18th of April, in the desert near Abou Dom, Olivier Pain was shot by two Bashi Bazouks under the eyes of Major Kitchener No one in the camp of Debbeh is ignorant of these horrible facts. This story, full of dates and names, seems clear and demands some other treatment than the Supreme contempt" with which English papers are af- fecting to treat it. Major Kitchener is at present in England. He might at least re- flute the charges for the sake of his country's honor.
 am pleased to see that most serious Paris papers doubt the truth of the English hav- ing made away with M. Olivier Pain, and think it is a of mystifcation which it ought to be very easy to clear up. After reading all that has been written about the death of this adventurer, who elected to serve on the side of barbarian against civili- zation, it is saddening to remember how the death of M. Herbin was received in France. Here was a man who was serving his coun- try as French consul at Khartoum up to the day when he and Colonel Stewart were mur- dered by the Arabs. Yet not a remark did his sad fate call forth Had he lost all pres tige and claim to respect because he quietly did his duty on the side of civilization!
 To turn to lighter subjects I find the fol lowing bit in the Rscollections of Cham, the greatest of French caricaturists Cham could not pear flower in his rooms. One night, nervous, restless, unable tc get any sleep, he lighted his candle and perceived what he imagined to be the cause of his suf- fering-a bouquet of flowers. Awaking his wife, "You must have sworn my destruc- tion," he cried, Ito bring such thing here" But, you dreadful fdget, don't you see that they are paper flowers" 1" said his irate spouse "Ohl paper ones, are they?" said he without losing his countenanee, Swell just fancy what it would have been if they had been naturall'
 MAX O'RELL