The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1893-08-10
A SOUTH AFRICAN TRAGEDY.
How an American Paid a Penalty Tor
Kissing a Missionary's Wife.

of the most dangerous in the world.
Currents, constantly varying both IN
direction and intensity, carry the navi-
gator far out of his course and often
land him upon some reef or sand bar.
The fact that the Robert Miller, from
London for Bombay, should have been
wrecked near the Bay of Port Natal
was, therefore, not strange. But what
was unusual was the great loss of life
that attended the wreck. Only one
man out of all those on board managed
to reach the shore in safety.
This man, Charles Lee, an American
by birth, but a citizen of the world by
choice, belonged to that constantly
increasing class who prefer to spend
their lives wandering from CLINE to
cline, picking up an often Precarious
livelihood, but seeing life in nearly
every phase Lee had made a lucky
| strike in London, and was on his way
| to India. He had taken passage in the
Robert Miller, hoping that the long
sea voyage would drive from his body
some lingering seeds of fever picked
up in South America.
Flung by the waves on the coast Of
Natal, with his money safe in a water
| proof belt, he changed his plans with
the readiness characteristic of his class
and resolved upon n trading trip into
the interior. Purchasing "a wagon and
span of oxen and hiring two native
assistants he "treeked" north into
| Zululand. In his wagon he carried
numerous articles for trade with the
natives. Among them, carefully con-
| cealed under the wagon seat, he carried
ten kegs of powder, concealed because
the law forbid the sale of powder to
natives.
At the end of three months Lee con-
| sidered that his trip had been sue
| cessful one and decided to return home,
| following another route to Natal. One
morning he ''outspanned" at a small
village where there was a missionary
station. The missionary himself was
away, but his wife came down to the
! traders wagon, expecting to find many
! articles needed to replenish her house
! hold stores. Lee sold what she wished
all the time looking at her in n puzzled
! manner. At last he exclaimed: by
George, know you now! How under
heaven did You get here, Mollie?'
Sir" said the woman, deadly pale
/ but drawing herself up proudly, what
! do you mean by this insult?"
so, stuff, Mollie, you can't fool me.
| AS soon as saw you knew l had seen
! you before. But it seemed SO queer
that Mollie Flanders-Moll. of San
! Francisco-Should have turned up here
of all places IN the world. Pretty as
ever, Moll, | see. Give us a kiss for old
| times sake"
Grasping her suddenly in his arms he
! kissed her again and again. Finally
! she tore herself loose and fled, white
with emotion.
Was she Mollie Flanders or was she
not? Lee was sure of it, but mistakes
! of Identification do sometimes happen.
! At any rate she acted as if innocent.
Sitting down. the woman wrote let
ter to her husband. telling him how she
had been insulted and demanding repa-
ration. This letter she sent by ma
tive to the neighboring village where
her husband was visiting.
That night the trader took advantage
of the moonlight to pursue his journey,
and, as fate would have it, he and the
letter reached the village and the mis-
s;onrry at the same time.
The missionary was a man of sudden
| and violent temper. He loved his wife
dearly, and the news of an insult to har
| broke down all the barriers he had built
up by constant training. Urged by him
| the chief of the village sent men to
seize the trader. Surprised without
arms Lee was made a captive after a
desperate struggle and was carried be-
| fore the chief and the missionary. The
| former was anxious not to go any furth-
err. The Zulu war was just over and
the natives hardly liked to injurc d
| white man SO soon after the sharp leg
| son they had received. Still, urged by
| the missionary, the chief finally or
| dered that Lee receive 100 lashes on
| his bare back.
The trader heard his sentence calm
| ly. He made no defense to the charges
and begged no mercy. He merely
asked that he be given an hour to put
| his affairs in order, in view of the pos
| sibility of a fatal result from so ire.
mendous beating. After little hest
tation the missionary agreed to this
| The wagon was searched and all weap-
ons were removed. Then Lee was
hoisted upon the seat and his hands
were freed but his legs were still kept
bound. The missionary warned him
that any attempt to free tn EN- would
result in the immediate execution of
| the sentence.
| Once upon the box Lee took out his
writing materials and wrote two let
tiers, which he sealed and threw upon
the ground. Then he reached down
below the seat and quietly drew the
| plugs from the powder kegs. The pow
der flowed out into black heap, with
which each keg connected.
| Lee then lighted his pipe and quietly
leaned back to await the expiration of
the hour. When it was nearly up he
bent down and began to unfasten the
bonds upon his legs. Instantly two
natives sprang at him, but he raised
his head and looked at them with so
deadly CLEAN in his eyes that they
hesitated Another moment and his
feet would be free
The missionary, seeing his prey about
to escape, rushed upon him, followed
by the whole aSsemblage of natives.