Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1893-08-30
|lTR 4 NAFRICA
WHAT RESULTED FROM AKiss That
WAS TAKEN BY FORCE

4 RAanane Anssieaa Thoaghs He Met n
on Ass.aias.nss I. ssssh Afrie.-He
Kisssa Hes, aae the Explosion which
YolBsued Was Terrible.
You viii End .,ore tragedy than romance
IN Africa Sometimes. far from the haunts
OF civilized uaen. lines Of life drawn from
other lands cross and reeross, and the old
story Of human passions is told anew.
Sometimes there are dramatic incidents
that in country OF mails, telegraphs and
newspapers would be eagerly picked M, and
recounted In sil their details. but in Africa
they are never fully told aild are soon for
gotten
This is such q story. II is true. and II
lid nor happen 50 long ago that the real
names can be used.
The coast Of southeast Africa is one OF
the most dangerous in the world Cur
rents constantly varying both in direction
and intensity carry the navigator far ont OF
his course and often land him upon some
reef or sand bar The fact that the Robert
Miller. from London for Bombay, shoald
have been wr.cAed near the bay Of Port
Natal was therefore not strange. but what
was unusual WIS the great loss of life that
attended the vreck. Only one man out o!
all those on bs-srd managed 70 reach the
shore in safety.
This man, Charles Lee, an American by
birth, bnt u citizen of the world by choice.
belonged TO the constantly increasing class
" no prefer to spend their LIVES wander
ing from cline to CLINE, picking up an often
preearious livelihood, but seeing life in
nearly every phase. Lee had made lucky
strike in London and was on his way to In
dia. He had takea passage in the Robert
Miller. hoping that the long sea voyage
would drive from his body some lingering
seeds Of fever picked up i'll South America
Flung by the waves on the coast of Natal
with his money safe in Il waterproof belt,
he changed his plans with the readiness
characteristic of his class and resolved up
on trading trip into the interior. P'lr
chasing Il wagon and span of oxen and hir-
ing two native assistants, he ''trekked"
north into Zululand In his wagon he car
ried nuWerous articles for trade with the
natives Among them, carefully concealed
under the wagon seat, he carried 10 kegs Of
powder, concealed because the laws forbid
the sale Of powder to natives.
At the end Of three months Lee consid
cred that his trip had been "a successful
one aud decided to return home, following
another route to Natal One morning he
"outspanne,i" ut small village where
there was missionary station. The mis-
sionary himself WAS away, but his wife
came down 10 the traders wagon, expect
ing to find many articles needed TO replen
ISL her household stores Lee sold what
she wished, all the time looking ut her in IA
puzzled manner. At last he exclaimed:
by George, know you now! How un-
der heaven did you get here, MollieY"
Sir" said the woman, deadly pale, but
drawing herself up proudly, what do you
mean by this ilsultt"
"oh, stun, Nollie. you can't fool me. As
soon as saw You knew | had seen you be
fore. But il seemed SO queer that Mollic
Flanders Mol of san Francisco should
have turned up here, of all places in the
world. PRETTY ~ ever, Moll, see. Give us
kiss for Old times sake"
Grasping her suddenly in his arms. he
kissed her again and again. Finally she
tore herself loose and fed. white with emo
ton. D.
Was she Nellie Flanders or was she not'
Lee was sure nf it, but mistakes Of identif
cation do sometimes happen. At any rate
she acted ny il Innocent.
Sitting down, the woman wrote letter
to her husband. telling him how she had
been insulted and demanding reparation
This letter she sent by u native to the
neigh boring village, where her husband was
visiting
That night the trader took advantage Of
| 'be moonlight to pursue his journey, and,
rs fate would have il, he and the letter
reached the village and the missionary at
the same time
The missionary was n man of sudden and
violent temper. He loved his wife dearly,
and the news of an insult to her broke
down all the barriers he had built up by
constant training. Urged 10y him, the
chief Of the village sent men to seize the
trader. Surprised without his arms, Lee
was made "A captive after IA desperate strug
gle and was carried before the chief and the
missionary The former WAS anxious no;
to 80 any further The Zulu war was just
over, and the natives hardly liked to injur,
n white man 50 soon after the shar, lesson
they had received Still. urged by the mis-
sionary, the chief finally ordered that Lee
receive 100 las'ies on his bare back.
The trader heard his sentence calmly
He made 10 defense to the charges and beg
ged no mercy. He merely asked that he be
given an hour TO put his affairs in order in
view of the possibility of a fatal result from
so tremendous Il beating. After n little hes
itaton the missionary agreed to this The
wagon was searched, and all weapons were
removed. Then Lee was hGisted upon the
seat. and his hands were freed, but his legs
were still kept bound. The missionary
warned him that any attempt to free them
would result in the immediate execution OF
the sentence.
Once upon the box Lee took out his writ
ing materials and wrote two letters, 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 powder 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 uufasten the bonds
upon his legs. Instantly two natives sprane
at him, but he raised his head and looked
at them with 50 deadly CLEAN in his eyes
that they hestated. 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. Lee waited
until they were nearly upon him and then
smptied the glowing contents of his pipe
upon the powder.
A sharp cry of horror from the mission
airy was lost Ia burst of flame and a roar
like thunder Then volume Of heavy
white smoke rolled and spread about the
scene like thick fog. When it had cleared
away, trader and missionary had both gone
TO carry their disputes to higher tribunal
Only two blackened masses, hardly human
IN form. remained to show that they bad
ever lived OF the natives, Is lay dead OF
dying upon the field.
To this day, if the traveller in that region
is annoyed by too curious and intrusive ma
tives. he has hut to throw a handful Of pow
der into the fire to secure absolute solitude,
The last resource Of the desperate white
man has not been forgotten.-San Fran
cisco Chronicle.
PHOTOGRAPHIC DECEPTION
Even to the Camera Things Are Not Al