The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1890-11-13
BARTTELOT'S DEATH.
HENRY M. STANLEY SAYS HE WAS
SHOT.
By Native While in the Act Of Brutally
Abusing the Wife Of a Negro Chief, and
He Richly Deserved His Fate.

By Native While in the Act Of Brutally
Abusing the Wife Of Negro Chief and
He Richly Deserved His Fate.
Stanley has been accused of brutal
ity and crime in Africa, especially in
regard 10 the death OF Maj. Barttelot,
who commanded his rear guard. He
defends himself against this charge in
late interview with a reporter for
the BaItim IRE Sun:
Mr. Stanley was seen at the Ever
EFT House yesterday afternoon, and
was interviewed.
"Where we're you when Barttelot
was shot in Africa?'
"Barttelot was shot on July 18th,
and l arrived on the scene on Au-
gust 18th; therefore | did not see the
deed, nor did | witness the cause
which led to it.
"The whole and sole cause was the
violent temper of the Major. Barttelot
had just come from Nyanza, and was
in camp where the rear guard had
camped before. His very presence
seemed to stir up the natives IN camp.
"He demanded sixty men from the
Arab chief as couriers, when he had
already had all that was necessary
The chief told him that he could not
give them TO him, for they weIe not to
be found. He threatened him with
reporting his denial: and again de.
manded the men, and then complained
to Bonny. Bonny told him he had
enough men already, and that II he
put the fifteen loads of rifles into their
hands they could go ahead and pro-
tect themselves. That was July 18th.
He went to the Arab chief and beat
him with a cypress stick and left him
in horrible condition.
"On the early morning of the 18th
Bartteiot was awakened and disturbed
by loud singing and beating of drums.
He sent his sergeant to find out who
made the noise. The sergeant report
ed that he could not find who was
responsible for it. He then sent his
little boy Soulti, who reported on his
return that a woman was singing and
the men drumming, which is the Afri-
cans custom in saluting the rising
sun.
'Barttelot said with an oath that
he would shoot the first one that
would not stop the noise, and suiting
the action to the word, be took down
his revolver aud marched out to find
the native singers. He found near
the chiefs hut woman, who was the
chiefs wife, singing and men drum
ming. He told the woman to stop,
and the woman looked at him i'll a de
fant way audskept on, for all the ma
tives hated him. He then struck her
and kickel her. She screamed, and
her husband was in thin hut not
five yards away cleaning his gun, and
looking "ut-of a loop hole and seeing
Barttelot abusing his wife, he put his
gun through The loophoie, fired, kill
ing Barttelot instantly. The murder
er was a chief, not a slave, and those
mer love their wives as much as you
do here. 1t was merely a spasm of
anger to protect his wife from the off
GERS brutal treatment. That was a
fair sample of his temper. From what
repnrts | can obtain he made himself
very distasteful to natives. He had
habit of standing in the pathways
and grinning and making faces at
them. He had four front teeth that
were very prominent. and when he
showed these it made the natives an
cry.
For these reports l don't rel, on
Mr.. Bunny, but there were 500 people
who could tell me how the affair hap
pened. Both Arab end the native
chiefs went over it very minutely,
and although they might be somewhat
prejudiced, they agreed to the letter
in their statements of facts. When
they laid there in Yamboya camp so
long they had positive orders from me
to advance, even if they made six
miles day and had to retreat six
miles. They would at least be active,
which is a sure cure for discomfort.
They had 600 loads and had OIL car
riers, The world was clamoring to
push ON and rescue Emin. There was
no necessity of their staying in camp
to guard it. If they had pushed on
two months they would have struck
my couriers, and if for two months
more, another band of couriers.
"Capt. Barttelot in his book said
that no such an idea was heard of and
that there was not a man in the world
that would propose such a thing. l
differ i'll a little from that, for when l
pushed on to the Congo l made over
2,20O miles by actual tape measure to
advance 81 miles, 1t was these things,
taken together with the lack OF inter
eat and scheming to diosbey, that
mademe censure the renr guard. They
disobeyed my order, broke their con-
tract with me, and lost all interest in
the forward movements Of the expe-
dition.
of course, was not there, but I
have the statement from several and
an affidavit from Bonny to these facts.
All the officers signed agreements with
me to obey and assist me in all things.
What l complain of, and l feel that I
perfectly justified in so doing, is that
the under officers in the camp made
no effort to suppress the reckless con-
duct of Major Barttelot.s They weIe
there alone with him all the time.
They were planning, plotting and
schsming together; they knew exactly
what was going on, aud yet they new.