The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-06-28
A BLACK GIRLS THqBE HUSBANDS
They all Demand Her and a White
Man Helps Settle the Difficulty.

/ AACJ Gil OCndnQ anu a W ulOO
Man Helps Settle the Difficulty.
a fair, but very dark damsel. who lives
on the Niger river, was the heroine of quite
a romance while ago, says the New York
Sun, and her story is told by Col. Gallieni
| IN the history of his campaign in the French
Soudan. She was girl of fine figure and
very comedy features, as African bellies go,
| and her charms made her a good deal Of
| trouble, for she ceptlvated the hearts of
number of men, all of whom were bound to
have her. Col Gallieni pres nts picture
of the fascinating creature, whom he calls
la Belle Strata"
A fortunate man in the village of Bate.
on the Niger, secured the fair Strata for
bis bride, but the honeymoon was not half
over before he lost her. She had another ad-
mirer who proposed to have her if he had
to lie like a lien awaiting his prey in order to
CAPTURE her. Ore day the young woman
balanced her water jar on her graceful
head and went to a neighboring stream for
water. As she stopped to fill her jar col
ored gentleman strang out of the bushes,
grasped her arm, and made off with her.
There is reason to believe the girl was more
than half willing to go, for her resistance was
very slight, and her captor was a younger
and far more attractive person than her
husband. He carried her miles away and
installed her as the mistress of the grass
snort months, when cruel fate parted them.
An officer in the army of Samory bounced
upon the village one day and proceeded to
enrich himself, after the African fashion,
by making slaves OF large part of the in
habltants. | did not take him 10 z to de-
eide that Strata would adorn his domestic
es ablishment. and so without fuss or feath-
erS he made her his wife, and as husband
No. was troublesome to have around I'M
der the circumstances, he sold him to
Toncouleur, one of the famous tribe of
mounted warriors who have made so much
trouble for the French. Husband No. 2
did not enjoy life as a slave, and after he
had been carried far away he improved a
good chance one day to escape. He finally
turned up at tire French post of Siguiri,
where he enlisted in the tlrailleurs or native
infantry in the service of France
Meanwhile husband No. 3 was leading
poor little Strata sorry life, dragging her
all over the country as he followed the for
tunes of Samory. He took part in tho cam
paigns of Samory against the French.
Husband No. would probably have fired
twice as rapidly when he went into battle if
he had only known that the hated possessor
of his dusky bride was blazing away with
his old t.ntlock on the other side, and might
stop q bullet. Strata was Mortified, no
doubt, by the tremendous din of musketry.
for most African armies have gre t many
women among their impediments, and hus-
band No. s was very careful not to let
Strata get great way from him.
Samory was being done up at last in
beautiful style. The French bullets were
making too many victims to suit husband
No. 3, and he decided that he had had
enough of fighting white men. So he i'm
proved a chance to decamp, and with the
fair Strata tagging at his heels he made his
way within the French lines at Siguiri
l.Ae
two husbands in that camp.
Meanwhile Samory, who didn't know
when he was thrashed, was securing the
country for achievements. His recruit
ing officers began to levy on every man they
could lay hands on in the region where
husband No. l lived, and that sensible per-
son, who had no notion of being stood up as
target for French bullets, made himself
scarce and sought the protection of the
French flag at Siguiri. The actors in the
drama were now all on the stage together,
and the play was ready to begin.
One day husband No. took little Strata
out for walk. 1t may be put in that way,
though doubtless he intended to have her
pick up bundle of wood or do some other
work for him before she went home. As
they were sauntering down the hut-lined
street, whom should they meet but husband
No. l, who actually couldn't believe his
eyes. Just then No. happened around the
corner in his neat uniform and fez, and
with his gun on his shoulder. There was a
climax for first-class dramatist!
No. l swooped down upon his long
lamented bride and seized her by the arm.
No. 3 caught hold OF the other side of her,
and the frightened girl seemed about to be
divided between them. No. 2 leveled his
gun at the hated rival No. 3, who had sold
him into slavery. Strata screamed, some
body knocked up the gun muzzle, the
weapon was discharged in the air, and Col.
Gallieni, who had been taking his afternoon
siesta, rushed into the street IN his slippers
to learn what the terrible row was all
about. Then the three husbands and
the weeping wife were taken before
HIM and he sat in Judgment. Divid-
ing one wife among three claimants
appeared even more perplexiug than the
celebrated case in which Solomon figured.
Strata helped him to solve the difficulty.
Col. Gallieni told her she might consider
free woman, and asked if she wished to
herself have any of the men for her hus-
band. She did not hesitate for a moment,
but walked at once to No. 2, who wore the
uniform, and took his hand.
women always prefer fine soldiers to
other fellows" remarked the happy trail
ieur, as he walked off with the prize
SOUTH AFRICA'S BANK ROBBER.-
Chase the Police Had for Him After