Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1889-06-28
A KING IN Exll !
tie stit Dresses oorgeousiy. Tboneh n.
IL Monarch without subjects,

Ia
IL u Monarci, without subject,
At the Government Honse recentions
and on othet gala occasions here !, !
short thiek.set ne gro is one of the
most conspicuous persons on view. hoth
bechuse the newspapers Of Europe ana
America have had much to say of him
nor over year, aud also on account
Of the extraordinary figure he cuts in
ms state costume He wears an Adj
miral coat with immense bnllion
epanlettes, over yellow plush vest
win Dig green enamel buttons. The
vest Is cut very low, displaying "a large
area OF immaculate linen. His lean
trousers have broad stripes of blue and
red, and black silk hose and pair NJ
gorgeous, iiower-embroide cred slippers
cover his neither extremities. On his
head he wears IL broad brimmed hat OF
African manufacture. something like a
sombrero, and in the band are stuck at
uniform distances five long ostrich
feathers, In his ears are gold rings of
unique design, and encircling his neck
is collar OF sharks teeth. with a
bears tooth tipped with gold by way
OF a pendant. He wears white cotton
gloves and as many fashy rings as
his fingers and thumbs will accommo-
| date.
This remarkable person is King in
exile. King ia ia, of Opobo, West AZ
rlca, who for many years lorded itover
a small district among the oil rivers OF
the Niger delta All the people here
have the story of his career at their
fingers ends, and they point him out
to strangers as the boss curiosity of the
island. They tell how his natural cun.
ming and his INSCRIPTIONS nature
lifted him from slavery to freedom ana
sovereignty. They repeat the stories
of his cannibalsm, which are numer.
Gus enough to fill book. ia ia TOLD
Captain Verney, of the Royal Navy,
twenty years ago, that all sensible men
were cannibals, and he said he knew
nothing in the eating line that was
quite so toothsome as a little boys
Hifhlts 4 hftt Ntto DClOi z oo ga W az
King, but even then he was gettins
rich trading with British merchants.
A few years ago ia ia built him a new
palace, which was a gorgeous affair as
palaces 90 in West Africa. Under each
foundation post he buried slave alive
about twenty in all, for no earthly rea-
son, apparently. except to show that he
had plenty of slaves to spare. All the
stories of his degraded barbarism are
known here, and are told again and
again
1t is about two years since the crown
ing act of ia JAS cruelty induced the
British Government to take his prec
ious person into custody and put hin
out of the way of doing further harm
For years he had exacted tribute upoi
every pound of merchandise that en-
tered or left his country. The whit
merchants at last decided that the.
would not be blackmailed by ia Jaau.
longer They told him he might max
as much money us he pleased in trade
hnt he must not NEEDLE with their bust
= ness. Ihereupon he ordered ms pee
pie to have nothing more to do wit
: the white traders, and suspecting tina
his dutiful subjects in one district wer
sEll trading with the whites he marches
his little army to the place and IL
few days killed 100 people. Then tn
British sent an expedition TO ia ia
country and made things very hot him
and when they returned to the coas
ia ia in chains was the most conspicu
Gus feature of the procession.
About year ago ia ia arrived a
Kingston. where, the imperial authori
ties thought. they could easily kee
him out of mischief. They gave hill
an allowance of 81, 900 ayear for spend
ing money, and he has plenty of none
besides of his own, though he spend
. very little. He nearly died OF home
) sickness, and before long sent piteou
= appeal to England for a few compat
. ions to cheer him up. He asked tha
4 dozen of his wives be sent to ST. Viz
. cent to share his exile. He though
his request was excee dinghy modest,
i he petitioned for only small part
1t his harem. Not to encourage polygi
II nv. however, the wise authorities DE-
II cided that one wife was enough, The
1t graciously permitted ia ia to take h
s nick. and he sent for Patience
Queen Patience is here, and Is us
ally in the society of her liege Tor
who is old enough to be her fathe
lie She is a young thing, dark and dump
in and is not at all regal nor dighilied
at anpearanee. Kingston (West lndii
1y Cor. n. I. sun.
A.
II DANNY T abrlcs N-or Summer.