The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1891-11-07
TERRIBLE KINO JA-JA.
Tbe Terror of West Africa Exi'ed to the
4 West Ind es by the 1T tsh.


r. is announced that ia ia once
Chief of Opobo, is dead. 1t will be
remembered that ia ia was deposed by
the English government some years
: AGO and that his case attracted a good
deal of attention in the House of Com
mons and in tho press OF two CONT
nents. Opobo is on tho west coast Of
Africa, n small district among the oil
rivers Of the Niger delta. About 1887
ia in began making trouble He had
! had bad reputation from away back.
He told Captain Varney, OF the Roy
nj navy, says the Phila Telegraph,
twenty wear. ago that all sensible men
were cannibais and he said he knew
! nothing in tho eating line that was
quite so toothsome as n little boys
ankle. That was before ia ia was
king, but even then he was getting
rich trading with British merchants
! A few years before ia ia built him q
new palace, which was a gorgeous
affair as palaces go in West Africa
Under each foundation post he buried
a slave alive about twenty in all. for
no other reason. apparently except to
show that he had plenty OF slaves to
spare. Stories of his degraded bar.
barism have been told again and again.
Finally the crowning act Of ia Jas
cruelty came, and induced the British
government to take his precious per-
son into custody and put him out OF tho
way Of doing further harm. For years
he had acted tribute upon every
mound OF merchandise that entered or
left his country. The white mer-
chants at last decided that they would
not be black-mailed by ia ia any
! longer. They told him that he might
make as much money as he pleased la
trade. hut he must not meddlo with
their business Thereupon he ordered
his people TO have nothing more TO do
with ihe white traders and suspect
ing that his dutifUl subjects in one
district were still trading with the
whites, he marched his little army to
the place and killed 700 people. Then
the British sent an expedition To ia
JAS country and made things very
hot for him. and when they returned
TO the coast ia ia in chains was the
most conspicuous feature Of the pro-
cession.
What to do with the African terror
was the next question. Deportation
was decided upon, and Mr.. ii. IL
Johnstone was commissioned by the
British government to take him for a
five years exile 10 the Island OF St
7 Vincent in the West Indies. They
gave him an allowance OF 81. 200 a
year for spending money, and he had
plenty OF money besides OF his own.
He nearly died OF inconsistencies and
before long sent n piteous appeal TO
England for few companions TO
cheer him up. He asked that dozen
OF his wives be sent to ST. Vincent to
share his exile. He thought his re-
quest was exceedingly modest as he
petihoned for only small part of his
harem. Not 10 encourage polygamy.
however, the wise authorities decided
that one wife was enough. They gen.
erously permitted ia ia to take his
pick, and he sent for Patience.
/ Queen Patience came. and was usu-
ally in the society OF her liege lord. who
was old enough TO be her father. She
! was young thing. dark and dumpy.
and was notst all regal or dignifiel in
appearance. Cheap jewelry glittered
all over her ample person. She had
silks aad satius. as well rs calico
gowns. and was rs strikingly appar-
aled when she walked abroad "a ia ia
himse II. The Royal couple lived in a
! poorly furnished cottage with two or
! three attendants
: ia in cut great Cgure while in the
West Indies He was a short thick
set negro. He wore an Admiral's
coat with immense bullion epaulettes
over Il yellow plush vest with big
green enamel buttons. The vest was
cut very low. displaying a large area
OF immaculate linen. His Jean trou-
sers had broad stripes OF blue and red.
and black silk hose and pair OF
gorgeous, nower-embroid slippers
covered his neither cytremities.
! On his head he wore broad -brimmed
hat OF African manufa .ture, somethino
like sombrero, and in the band were
STUCK, Ut uniform distance. five long
ostrich feathers.
In MS ears were gold rings of
unique design; and encircling his neck
was collar of sharit's teeth, with n
bear tooth tipped with gold by way
OF pendant He wore white cotton
gloves and us many lldshy rings as his
Enge"s aud thumbs would acconmo-
date. Taken altogether. he WAS a
sight 1T for the gods. and astonished
| the natives.
ia ia was at last pardoned by the
Queen lie had proceeded ns far on
his way TO Opobo as TenerifTe, on the
Canary Islands OF the coast of Africa
where his death is reported to have
occurred.