Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-04-15
STANLEY'S REPLY
TO TEE CHARGE OF COLONEL GEORGE W
WILLIAMS.
The African Explorer Claims That Williams Tried
10 BicimAil the King Of HOlland-What
Stanley Has 70 Say About the Govern
II ntof the Congo State in Recitation.

| ohnley mas " Say ApouI lne uofern-
II nt Of the Congo State in Recitation.
New YORK, April IA. - Henry NJ.
Stanley says that blackmaillng on a big
scale has been attempted recently, with
King Leopold, of Belgium, and himself
as the victims. 1t would not work, he
said.
This declaration Mr.. Stanley made
while speaking OF some bitter charges
made against King Leopold's govern
ment of the Congo State by Col. George
w. Williams. In an open letter TO Leo
pold H., sovereign Of the independent
State of Congo, Mr.. Stanley was at
tackled as being the chief agent in set
ting up the Kings authority.
Col. Williams is a colored man, who
had a coed record in the war. He met
Mr.. Stanley first in 1854. Since that
time the Colonel has made trip up the
Congo. That is about all that Mr.. Stan
ley knows OF him, except that some
time ago he tried to secure permission
from Sir William McKlnnon, President
of the Imperial British East African
Company TO go TO the Eastern Coast OF
Africa. A part OF the money Col.
Williams spent in his Congo trip, Mr..
Stanley said, was furnished by c. 7.
Huntington, who, with Sir William Me-
Knnon, was interested in developing
that country.
Col. Williams has published his attack
on the King and Mr.. Stanley in a
pamphlet. He charges the grosSest
abuses in the government Of the pro-
vince. Briefly, they are these: First
The government is deficient In moral,
military and financial strength. Cruel
ties, such as burying slaves alive in the
grave OF dead chief, and cutting off the
heads of captured warriors. are practic-
ed, and no effort is made to stop them
by the Kings officers. Sec0nd-The
military posts are governed by black
Zanzibar soldiers, who are pirates and
robbers. Third-The Kings govern
ment has violated it's contract with the
soldiers. Fourth-The courts are abor-
tive, unjust, partial and delinquent.
Fifth-The government is excessively
cruel to its prisoners, condemning them
for slight offenses to the chain-gang, the
like OF which cannot be found anywhere
else In the world. SiXth-Women are
imported to go to the Congo for immoral
purposes; procured by the State and
then disposed of to the highest bidder.
Seventh-Discrimin are practiced
in trade relations. Eighth-The gov
ernment has violated the general act OF
the conference of Berlin by firing upon
native canoes and confiScating native
property. Ninth-The government is
now guilty OF waging unjust and cruel
war against natives with the hope OF Sc
curing slaves. Slave hunting raids are
organized Men, women and children
are shot without provocatiOn and with
out mercy at the caprice OF the officers,
who make wagers as TO their success in
killing natives. Tenth-The govern
ment is engaged in the slave trade at
wholesale. Eleventh-In violation OF
legal claims, military posts are to be es-
tablished, under contract with the
Arab Governor.
Each OF these charges is elaborated,
and in many Instances specifications are
cited. Charge No. IL is a straight one
against Mr.. Stanley, accusing him OF
misrepresenting the Congo country,
brutal treatment Of natives, and allow
ing his followers to slcken and die.
II first saw this Col Williams in 1884,
when he came TO me in London and
wanted To join in an exploration to the
Congo country" Mr., Stanley said. IL
told him the bureau was filed, that he
had better file his application, and when
vacancies occurred he must take his
chances with the others. referred him
to King Leopold. and he went to Brussels
TO see him. ! wrote Il letter TO the
King, commencing him 10 his care, say
ing that he had made a good record as
soldier in America, and suggested that,
II there was any place for him, he give
him trial. Williams saw the King,
and went TO the Congo country, on just
what terms | do not know. ! do not
think King Leopold was pleased with
him, and do not know what their rela-
tionS have been since. He obtained
permission to go to the Congo country,
as any one may. 1t is an easy matter.
and consists OF going up river IN a
boat.
The night before | left Liverpool
for America Sir William McKinnon
came to me with a copy of these charges
and asked me what knew Of Williams.
He said Williams had applied to him fer
permission to 90 to British East Africa.
He wanted financial backing from Sir
William and C. =. Huntington, who
had put eiO,00 each in the country,
with the idea OF opening 1t up. He ask
ed me IL it were advisable to let Col.
Williams 90. told him what
| knew OF Col. Williams deal
ings with King Leopold and asked
Sir William il he knew the
King, and If so, il he could believe
these charges. He said the King was
his friend; he knew that he had put
$500. 600 into the work Of developing
the Congo State, and he did not believe
the charges could be true. held up
my hands and asked him how, then, he
could hesitate to refuse such man ;
application TO 90 to East Africa. told
him then that believed the charges
we're simply a great scheme to black.
mail the King. 1t was question OF
how much would it be worth King
Leopold to prevent the letter from
being published.
Mr.. Stanley hinted that the charge
against himself was an attempt TO levy
tribute on him. lie read 1t through and
smiled. "What an awful character
must have" he said. "But this man
will get none of my money. His state
a
the face of them. | suppose the author
OF the letter held back the publication
as long as he thought 1t advisable.
Then he saw letter written by me,
published in daily paper, and thought
his opportunity had come. His charges
are not worth noticing. The blackmail-
ing sheme did not work. These at
tempts at blackmail are common. They
are liable to be made by any one who has
had falling out with the promoters OF
any African explorations. ! have dis
charged fifty men myself and laid my
self liable to attacks of this sort. Other
schemes are worked. Men come TO me
with the most piteOus tales and want to
be given big money to go on some expe-
dition. They break my heart with their
stories. II satisfactory arrangements
cannot be made, some OF them may
bring me story Of abuses In my Afri-
can expedition, and 1t is question Of
how much il is worth to prevent puhli-
cation. | presume King Leopold has
his share of these, and has paid all the
money he cares TO. He has seen these
charges. He saw them before the pub
lie did. and suppose refused to be bled.
So the document is published. "
A Physician Turns Burglar.
ELKToN, MD, April l4.-Detective
Otley, of the Pennsylvania Railroad
thir rnnrninr arrasf cd