New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-11-22
THE STORY OF THE KEARGUARD
1T WAS KNOWN BY A MINISTER IN BOSTON
TWO YEARS AGO.

A LETTER FROM AssAD FARRAN WRITTEN IN
JULY. 1888, BROUGHT TO LIGHT AND
READ TO sTANLEY-THE INTER
Prefers NARRATIVE
tBr TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE,
Boston, Nov. 2i.-The following letter In regard 70
the Stanley controversy published To-Day IL
has been in the desk of the Rev. Edmund f. Merriam
In the fremont Temple Building for two years, ana
in view Of the recent controversy the rear column
will be read with interest. 1t was written by Assad
Farran, a Syrian Christian, educated at Jerusalem
who acted interpreter In the Stanley camp. The
letter was addressed to Mr.. Camp, engineer OF the
steamer Henry Reed, on the Upper Congo "hich pc-
longed to the American Baptist Foreign Missionary
Society. This was two years ago. HIS reason ior
writing this letter to Camp may have been that he
was sure Of sympathy from fellow Christian. How
ever that may be, he wrote his letter on July a.
1883, and sent It to Camp Camp read 1t, ana seeing
at once the terrible Importance OF the facts sent te
letter to Mr.. Lewis Baptist missionary al Lnkuhgu'
with the request that 1t should be FORWARDED 10 the
Rev. Edmund F. Merriam, assistant foreign secretary
of the society in Boston. Mr.. Lewis made copy,
which he sent on August i, 1885, lie introduced it
with brief note to Dr. Merriam and the whole runs
as follows
Lukungu, August !, 1885,
Brother Merriam: Below is copy Of statement
sent mo by Brother Camp, with request that send you
q copy:
'Having been engaged in MI Stanleys expeaitioh rs
interpreter through Africa. shall be glad 70 give so
information about it, Mr. Sanys idea was that w0ud
him months to reach finin fachs SIX moiA's l"
relieve him and settle his affairs and six months to go
back. When Mr.. Stanley arrived at Ianztar ne took
600 from carry loads ana twenty servant
boys With these and sixty soudanese soae's' "nicn
he engaged in Egypt and thirteen men from Aue' ."o
Interpreters and ten he started the expedition
Before he left Zanzibar an engagement was
with Tippoo lib that ne shou'u give
him 600 men when they arrived AZ o'ahiey
Fails This expeditlon went far the Yarowimi
fAruwhimD River There they made strong camp, ana
Mr. Stanley after staying there week, look aoo men
and five officers and left the rest az that camp III chrss
Of Major E. NJ Barttslot. Mr.. Stanley left famboys
camp on June 81. 1887 promising to return about Novem
Der / The men who left in camp had great dm'
cutes especially about their food, FOR In that pace her
was nothing to be but roots, and this they had
to feed for twelve months Almost all the men pecane
sick: a great many Of starvation The Major, VINO
was in command, had many means OF preserving 1ne men
he had wished to He had great quantity OF
cloth brass rods beads etc., which is the native money
there which he away at last He cruelty treatea
the men beating them 200 and 800 stripes at time Tor
small offences, and even shot them Tippoo Iibs men
heard of this therefore would not go with the ex
petition Tippoo lib himself was sorry that ne mao
an agreement give Mr.. Stanley GOO men.
Tweve months elapsed and they could get no men from
Tipnoo lib to carry loads and follow Mr. Stanley.
During this time deserters from MI Stanley arrived
at the camp. We expected some good news from Mr..
Stanley but there nothing interesting except that
MANY of the men sick and left the way Az one
time Stanley left forty who could not march Men
went with him five and did not reach the place no
was going to and therefore they deserted There were nine
menseven were by cannbas. and two reached the
CAMP After this Major begged Tippoo Iib to give
him and necessary. to make new cohtrac'
and increase mems pay, intending, he eiused 10
throw their stuff the river and back to Zanzibar
ordered S. jameson OF the white men, 10 go VIII"
an Interpreter to Kosongo village belonging to Tippoo
Tb thirty days from Stanley Falls by native canoes TO Try
and get some men, Tppoo got letters from Zanzibar
urging him send some men to look for Stanley as
news reached that he dead Therefore, Iippoo
b was Obliged to give this trip Jameson
being anxious to how the natives eat each Other
bought a girl about ten years old and gave her 10 tne
natives that he might them cat her. They tied her
to a tree stabbed in the bowels, when eighe
men rushed up knives and cut her up and put her
In their cooking pot jameson was pleased with the sight,
and made pictures OF the AS Soon as they ar
rived in camp Major Barttelot intended to leave the
camn with the men and 20 wadaai to look for Mr..
Stanley. Meanwhile two steamers arrived, and took
about half Of the load back to Bangal Many things
away and given to the natives which would
have saved all the who died from munger we beafa
at that time that fifty Zanzibas and white man from
Stanley were Ugigl and going to Zanzibar and that
they were supposed be the remainder OF Saneys en-
neditlon but we could believe this there was no
foundation. The returned few men who were
sick and had leave home but they were not sup
piled with food for the Three days AFTER the ex-
pedition started Stanley the 18th OF June 1883
July IA, 1885, n L. '@'''A'''-''
This letter was read to-day to Mr.. Stanley at the
Hotel Brunswick by Globe reporter, and the ex-
plorer said
Eyes it was genuine and / am glad to hear II.
But it does not make the matter any stronger in my
mind than it before Jameson's own letter Is the
most damning evidence against him. If he wanted to
DENY it lie should have denied it absolutely But he
acknowledges he did it, saying that before he was
aware of the intention Of the chiefs the girl be-
yond help. i can't understand it," and the speakers
face took on an expression of disappointment and sad
ness for i you Mr.. jameson was one OF
the most amiable and best Of fellows
"He Just didn't IL from the point We DID, broke
in Lieutenant JephsOn. lie was man carried away
by the wonders Of science and his desire was to witness
the scene from his view scientist, not realizing
the horrible cruelty of the thing. He as vivi-
sectonst cutting up rabbits and not thinking of the
cruelty and wrong Of the thing from humanitarian
point of view. For II he lad thought Of such
thing jameson was the last man to be cruel.'
eyes, said Stanley II see how blind his desire
made him. He might have taken the girl and gone of
with the cannibal chiefs and would have been
the wiser. But this Asssd Farran the whole thing
and tells the committee afterward Then the
prove the man q liar but after Jameson's letter. how
could /? When Bonny told myeif and my officers
about the trouble, didn't believe 1t. Why sir Mr.
jameson was as nice fellow as you ever saw But ne
simply didn't see the thing from humanitarian stand
point. His science led him astray. You SEQ, Mr..
jameson was a rich man, and the thought came that
him his salary. But JamesOns letter settled II and
that letter from Farran corroborates 1t all'
TO BUY SOUTH CAROLINA'S PHOSPHATE LANDS.
Charleston. S. c.. Nov. 21 SpeciaD.-lt learned
cl;ebe