The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-06-25
In A MOORISH DUNGEON.
Horrors Beyond Description Enacted A
most Within Sight Of Europe.


most Within Sight Of Europe.
Fee Correspondence In New York Herald
One must come to Morocco to appreciate
how foul blot this country 10 on the map
of the world and what horrors are enacted
here within sight of Europe and within
ministers plenipOtentiary and consuls-
general of the most powerful and most CIV
IliZed nations of the earth.
| have already desert bed in one of my let
tiers the town of A lcazar two days Journey
from TaDgierJ. It's minaress. Its palms. its
ancient fortress. Its storks. l called upon
H'mam S!awi. friendly Moor resident
there. and when ] had arranged for my
camping place and the fodder of my horse
and mules l told him i wanted to see the
prison. Imam was rather taken aback:
He did not know about it; he thought it
could not be done; had better not see it,
etc.
Where is the prisonf" asked.
1T is here, close by. In the street." and
he pointed out the direction. / moved on,
and we stopped at the door.
us this the man in charge of the guardW
Yes"
.Tell him / wish to see the prison." HE
cannot allow you. he says. TO enter without
orders from the Khalifs."
Very we'll. Go you, now, to the Khalifa:
tell him am here on my way to Fee: that
/ have letters with me from Sid Mohammed
Torres and from the British and American
bashadors; that l want to see this prison,
and that am waiting here In the street for
his permissi on"
H'mam did not like the job. A crowd be-
gan to collect. i seated my self on q stone
bench against the wall and exchanged o
prolon2 ed stare with tho squalid little
mob ranged up against the opposite wall.
there being about four feet Of green and
Shiny road way between us.
Hmam was gone q long time, although
the khalifa's house was not far OF. and /
noticed that now and again u man would
come up TO the crowd from that direction
and 60 back sgain-messenge gers evident
ly sent W neither the Christian was
still there waiting.
If there is one thing Moorish officials
hate more than another il IL that O Chris
tisn should find himself among n crowd of
their people. They know that for the
slightest injury to him they will have to
pay through the nose. There was l. and
there was the crowd. fixtures IN the street,
ana for all the Khalifa knew angry pas
sions might rapidly be rising TO boiling
over point. AS matter OF fact. the crowd
was In apparently peaceful but steady
contemplation of my strange garT ents-
boots and breeches and broad brini!ned
hat, and such outlandIsh things, while
l on my side was with equanimity
Eliminating upon their lack of boots
or .breeches, and thinking Of fat Sir
Johns ragged regiment and wondering
whether there was "a shirt and half" in
all this strange company. Eventually
hs
and the crowd had fresh matter for wonder
rs they saw the Christian disappear
through the prison door.
You do not look into the prison of Al
cazar as into that of Tangier-through q
hole In the wall at the ground level. and
through which. when your face is seen,
thin. brown. imploring hands ure thrust
for money or bread. That is bad enough.
but at Alcazar-merclful heaven Can
such things be almost within sight of
EurOpef
You ascend by narrow stairway and
come out on q fiat roof bathed in the glOri-
Gus spring sun. At your feet is q square
opening with q heavy wooden grating. IL
is helPs hatchway. You look down and in.
stantly turn sick with the horrible stencil
which arises. You look again and you see
down there upturned faces. white. passion.
less. desDsirinR. and up from the depths
comes the clank of chains. Dark. foul.
damp; 0en of filth and fever. where mind
10 destroyed and body racked With ague: a
pit of destruction, whence the most ferv ent
prayer that comes up must be the prayer
for swift death.
What are these prisonersW / asked the
guard who accompanied me. They are
all bad people," be said.
"Murderersp There are two murder.
ers.D
And the otbersi" They are robbers.
many of them. and there are many of the
tribesmen VINO made the trouble recently
at Wazzsn and attacked the town; Others
are deotors. men who owe money TO Jews
and others"
And they are all kept together down
there-murderers. and robbers, and ebels
and debtorsf" YES"
And when will they be triedf"
might rs well have asked the man the
exact day and hour of tho next total
eclipse of the sun! He knew nothing abOu 6
trials. and his ideas as to the melting out of
Justice to the wretches below began and
died right there in the pit-that was Just
Ice. They were bad people. and there they
we're. There 10 no fixed term of i'm DIT SON.
ment; the Murderer and the robber and the
rebel stay IN the hell hole till they die: the
debtor stays there till he pays and If he
doesn't pay he dies. too. No writ of habeas
corpus rms In Morocco.
And these things are done within six
days steam from Charing Cross within
twelve hours ride from the residence of
all the ministers plenipo Tertiary and en-
voys extrso cdinary and consuls of tho
great powersl
And is nothing ever donea Has the opln.
ion of Europe found no expressionf Have
the repOrtB of executive committees of phi.
lanthropio societies awaited naughtf oh.
yes. Once In awhile the Moorish authori-
ties give the prisons q coat of whitewash