Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-07-01
A SOUTH AFRICAN TRAGEDY.

How an American Preferred to Pay the Pen
atty for kissing . Missionary Wife.
From the San Francisco Chronicle
You will find more tragedy than romance in
Africa. Sometimes. far from the haunts of civ
ilized men, lines Of life drawn from other lands
cross and recross, and the old story Of human
passions is told anew. Sometimes there arc
dramatic incidents that in a country of mails
telegrapts and newspapers would be eagerly
picked up and recoanted in all their details, bus
in Africa they are never fully told and are soon
forgotten.
This is such q story. 1t Is true, and Il did
not happen SO long ago that the real names can
be used:
The coast Of southeast Africa is one Of the
most dangerous in the world. Currents, con-
stantly varying both in direction and in
tensity, carry the navigator far out Of his
course and often land him upon some reef or
saho par. The fast that the Robert Miller,
from London for Bombay. should have been
wrecked near the Bay of Port Natal was. there
lore, not strange. But what was unusual was
me great loss Of life that attended the wreck.
oliis one man ont OF all those on board man.
aged 70 reach the shore in safety
This man. Charles Lee. an American nv birth
put citizen OF the world by choice belonged
10 thst constantly increasing class who nrefer
TO spend their lives wandering from cline to
CLINE, picking upan often precautions livelihood.
ou' seeing ne IN nearly every phase. Lee had
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 waterproof belt he
IL nj kr1rt 4sau. a.
istic of his class, and resolved upon a trading
trip into the interior. Purchasing a wagon and
span of oxen, and hiring two native Hssistants
he "trekked" 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 laws for
bid the sale Of powder to natives.
At the end of three months Lee considered
that his trip had been a successful one and
decided to return home. following another
route to Natal. One morning he ''outspanped"
at a small village where there a mission
airy station. The missionary himself was
away, but his wife came down to the traders
wagon. expecting 20 find many articles needed
to replenish her household stores. Lee sold
what she wished, all the time looking at her
in puzzled manner. At last he exclaimed:
by George, 1 know you nowi How under
heaven did you get here. Molhe?''
''Sir, said the woman, deadly pale. but draw
ing herself up proudly, what do YOU mean by
this insult?'
.oh, stuff. Mollie: Won can't fool me. Az
soon as / saw you knew 1 had seen you be-
fore. But il seemed queer that Mollie
Flanders-Moll of San Francisco-should have
turned up here, of all places in the world.
Pretty as ever. Mol, L see. Give us kiss for
old times sake"
Grasping her suddenly in his arms he kissed
her again and again. Finally she tore herself
lnng andH ad NH ia xfsth
Was she Molle Flanders or was she not? Lee
was sure OF it. but mistakes Of Identification do
sometimes happen. At any rate she acted as il
innocent.
Sitting down. the woman wrote letter to her
husband, telling him how she had been in
suited and demanding PREPARATION. This letter
she sent by a patiye TO the neighboring village,
where her husband was visiting
That night the trader took advantage OF the
moonlight 10 pursue his journey. and. fate
would have it, he and the letter reached the
village and the missionary 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 her broke down all the
barriers he had built mp by constant training
Urged by him the chief OF the village sent men
TO seize the trader. Surprised without his arms
Lee was made a captive. after a desperate
struggle, and was carried before the chief and
the missionary. The former anxious not TO
60 any further. The Zulu war was just over
and the natives hardly liked TO injure a white
man SO soon after the sharp lesson they had
received. Still, urged by the missionary, the
chief finally ordered that Lee receive one hum
dred lashes on his bare back.
The trader heard his sentence calmly. He
made 40 defense to the charges. aud begged no
mercy. He merely asked that he be wen an
hour TO put his affairs in order. in view Of the
possibility of a fatal result from 20 tremendous
a beating. After a little hesitation the mission
nj agreed N this The rhad
and all weapons were removed. Then Lee was
hoisted upon the seat and his hands were freed,
but his legs were still kept bound The mis-
sionary 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 writing
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 a black heap, with which each
keg connected.
Lee then lighted his pipe and quietly leaned
back TO await the expiration of the hour When
il was nearly up he bent down and began to
unfasten the bonds upon his legs. Instantly
two natives sprsng at him, but he raised his
head and looked at them with so deadly CLEAN
in his eyes that they hesi:ated. Another mo-
ment 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 emptied
the glowing contents OF his pipe upon the
powder.
A sharp cry Of horror from the missionary
was lost in a burst of flame and roar like
thunder. then a volume Of heavy white smoke
rolled and spread about the scene like a thick
fog. When il mad cleared away trader and
missionary had both gone to carry their dis
putes 10 a higher tribunal Onlv two black
ened masses, hardly human in form. remained
10 show that they had ever lived OF the ma
tives fifteen lay dead or dying upon the field
To this day, if the traveller in that region IL
ANNOYED by too curious and intrusive natives,
he has but TO throw a handful OF powder into
the fire TO secure absolute solitude. The last
resource of the desperate white man has nos
been forgotten.
A MANS VIEW OF 1T.