The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-06-28
A KING IN EXILE.
He Still Dresser GOrge0usly, Though He
Is a Monarch without Subjects.

A KING IN EXILE.
He stll Dresses Gorgeously. Though Ne
Is Monarch without Subjects.
At the Government House receptions
and on other gala occasions here, q
short. thick-set negro is one OF the
most conspicuous persons on view. both
because the newspapers of Europe and
America have had much to say of him
for over year, and also on account
of the extraordinary figure he cuts in
bis state costume. He wears an Ad-
miral's coat with immense bullion
epaulettes, over yellow plush vest
with big green enamel buttons. The
vest is cut very low, displaying large
area of immaculate linen. His jean
trousers have broad stripes of blue and
red, and black silk hose and pair OF
gorgeous. fOwer-embrOidered slippers
cover his neither extremities. On his
head he wears -brimmed hat OF
African manufacture. something like
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 a collar of sharks teeth. with a
bears tooth tipped with gold by way
of a pendant. He wears white cotton
gloves and as many hashy rings as
his fingers and thumbs will accOmmo-
date.
This remarkable person is a King in
exile. King ia ia, of OpObo, West AT
RIGA, who for many years lorded it over
a small district among the oil river 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 cum
ming and his INSCRIPTIONS nature
lifted him from slavery to freedom anG
sovereignty. They repeat the stories
of his cannibalism, which are numer.
GUS enough to fill q 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 little boys
ankle. That was before ia ia was
King, but even then he was getting
rich trading with British merchants.
A few years ago ia ia built him new
palace, which was a gorgeous affair as
palaces 60 in West Africa. Under each
foundation post he buried a slave alive
about twenty in all, for no earthly rea-
son, apparently, except to show that he
had plenty of slaves to spare. ALI the
stories of his degraded barbarism are
known here. aud 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 him
out of the way of doing further harm.
Fory he had exacted tribute upon
every pound of merchandise that en-.
tered or left his country. The white
merchants at last decided that they
would not be blackmailed by ia Jaany
longer. They told him he might make
as much money as he pleased in trade,
but he must not NEEDLE with their bust.
ness. IhereupOn he order ed his PEG
pie to have nothing more to do with
the white traders, and suspecting thai
his dutiful subjects in one district were
still trading with the whites he marched
his little army to the place and in
few days killed 700 people. Then the
British sent an expedition to ia JAS
country and made things very hot him,
and when they returned to the coast
ia ia in chains was the most conspicu.
Gus feature of the procession.
About year ago ia ia arrived al
Kingston, where, the imperial authori
ties thought. they could easily keel
him out of mischief. They gave him
an allowance of 81, 600 a year for spend.
ing money, and he has plenty of money
besides of his own, though he spends
very little. He nearly died of home.
sickness, and before long sent piteous
appeal to England for few compan.
ions to cheer him up. He asked that
dozen of his wives be sent to St. Vim.
cent to share his exile He thought
his request was excee dinghy modest,
he petitioned for only small part Of
his harem. Not to encourage polyga
my. however, the wise authorities de.
cided that one wife was enough, They
gracioasly permitted ia IA to take his |
pick, and he sent for Patience.
Queen Patience is here, and is usu.
ally in the society of her liege lord,
who is old enough to be her father.
She is young thing, dark and dunpy,
and is not at all regal nor dignifed in
pearance.-Kingston (West India)
Cor. n. Y. Sun.