The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-01-07
AN EXECUTION IN MOROCCO.
An English Traveller Tells of tie fisnd-
f.hu...s of ti,. Moofs.

murder earn anu TIE [iobial VI Slit
,narv. one and the other arc TO be
found all through the country. The
murder csirn is but heap of stones
over the spot where a murder W.
committed. 10 which every passer by
odds one The sanctuary Is a refuge.
i'm which the criminal who reaches II
is for time perfectly safe 1t IS not
necessary to enlarge on the utillty OF
the sanctuary in a country suffering
from government like that Of BIO
rocco
All this cruelty, as practiced accord
ing 10 the law OF the land, has pro
duced in the Moors an indifference TO
life more callous than that eyInccd by
most Orientals The following story,
related by an Englishman. who was
an eve witness Of the events j. lior-
rible illustration Of this fatahsm ana
of the absolute reverence IN which the
sultan's decree is held.
An Engishman. resident in Tangler
seeking one morning 20 leave the town
bv one Of the gates found the gait
closed end a large crowd assembled
before il. He also saw a number Oi
soldiers. and i'm their midst a couple OF
prisoners with their hands bound 10
their sides. One was mounialncer
from the Riff, the other tall and
handsome young fellow, native OF
Tangier.
He asked what crime these men had
committed.
The sultan was the answer
may Ga prolong his days-has
ordered their heads to be struck off be
cause they have been engaged il
smuggling on the Riff coast %
1t Is a very severe punishment
urged the Englishnan
"Do not argue with me, Nazarine,
said the officer u have received my
orders and must obey.
The execution was 10 take place IN
the jewish slaughter house. \ Moor,
repulsiye in appearance and dressed as
butcher, Was there awaiting thc con
demued. His weapon was a small
knife with q blade some six inches
long He was a stranger, end had
offered MS services hscause all the
Mohammcdad butchers of Iangicr had
taken refuge in q sanctuary.
4 heated discussion arose between
this wretch and the officer in charg- as
TO the blood money he was to receive
for the Job. The two victims stood bv
and listened. Thcbutcher domaudcd21
francs a head. The officer finally
agreed. though withillgrace Then tho
butcher seized the Rihian, threw him
on the ground. and knelt on his chest
The Englishman turned away ms
head. He heard sounds of horrible
struggle. in the midst OF winch Il
hoarse voice cried. Give 1870 another
knife. mine does not cut ~ Another
knife was brought and the head hcwn
from the body The soldiers cried
family, God prolong the life OF our
lord and master.
Then came the second victim. Tic
had watched the operation. Again
. they wrauglcd over his blood the
officer refused tO remember lbs prom
ise and said Doc would only give ~
/ francs for both heads The butcher
accepted The prisoner begged Shat
( his hands might bc unbound. Tie
gave bis cloak To- one soldier saying.
/ I'VE shall meet in the next world.
/ He threw his turban to another. lie
cried. i'm q clear voice, There ls mo-
/ God but God and Mohammed is hls
prophet. and taking off his belt gave
+ it to thc butcher saying Take 1t. and
/ for the love of God deal more quickly
with me than with my brother Then
/ NE stretched himself on the earth IN
/ the blood and the cXecutioner lSnelton
him
- reprieve-stopT cried the Eng
/ lishman. \ horsemn gallopcd To-
ward them. The butcher held his
knife
1T is only the governors SON, - said
soldier come TO see the execution
wait for him.
They waited.
The incident occurred some years
AGO. but since then neither the Gus
/ toms nor the characters nor the
methods of administering the law OF
/ the MO0rs have undergone any
change No change indeed is pos
sible so long as the country Is gov
erued by .he Shereeis; and so long a.
/ Morocco remains in the hands OF tht
Moors no other form of government Is
possible, and no attempt can be made
with any hope OF success, Ia arrest tht
decadence Of a people who, from being
foremost among the pioneers Of civil
izaGon in the past, have now SUM
into state Of brutal degradation only
surpassed by that Of the semi Gambia
sayages Of the Man Nam and kindred
tribes of Central Africa. The pity o
this is but the greater that the Moorish
peasanty, apart from their fanaticism
are still a frugal. upright and warllkC
race who retain TO this day, in spite o
oil the evil agencies that have 50 lone
been at work to destroy them, many
of the HONORABLE and soldierly instinct.
ihat made their ancestors 30 great Z
nation. London Times.