The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-06-15
ONE TRAGEDY Of AFRICA.
The Tale Of the Trader and the Mis-
sionary Whom He Had
lnsulted.
Charles Leo Calmly Settled His
Own Fate ia Ear Zulu
land.
His Exscuttoners Went "a :
Higher Court.

You will ind more tragedy than romano
In Africa, writes John Crittsndon Marriott
In the San Franoisco Chronicle. Some
times, far away from the haunts of civil
izsd men, lines of life drawn from other
lands croas and rscrosa and the old story OF
human passions Il told anew. Sometimes
there are dramatic incidents that IN =
sountry Of mails. telearsphs and news
papers would be engerly picked mp And re-
counted in all their details. but n Aries
they are never fully told and are aoon Tor
gotten. This il auch . story. ltisttus
and II did not happen 90 long ago that the
real names can be used:
The coast Of southeast Africa IL one Of
She most dangerous Ia tho world. Currents.
constantly varying both in direction and
intensity, carry the navigator far out Of his
course and often land him upon some reef
or sandbar. The fact that the Robert
Miller. from London for Bombay. should
have been wrecked near the bay Of
Port Natal was, therefore. not strange.
Bot what was unusual WAS the great loss
OF life that attended tho wreck. Only one
man out Of all those on board managed TO
reach the shore in safety. This man.
Charles Ice, an American By birth but =
citizen of the world by CHOICE. belonged to
that constantly increasing GLASS who prefer
90 spsnd thsir lives wandering from CLINE
10 CLINE, picking up an often prsoatious
livelihood, but seeing life In nearly every
phase. Lee had made . lucky strike IN
London, and was on his way 10 India. Hs
had taken passage in the ROBBERS Miller.
hoping that tbs long sea voyage would
drive from his body some lingering seeds OF
fever picked up in South America.
Flung by the wavss ON the coast Of
Natal, With his money safe IN 4 waterproof
bslt, he changed his plans with the Ieadi-
ness Characteristic. Of his GLASS and re-
solved upon q trading trip into the interior.
PurchasinQ . wagon an ! span OF oxen a11
north into Zululand. In his wagon he
carried numerous articles for trade with
the natives. Among them, carefully eon-
csalsd under the wagon seat. he carried ten
kegs of powder. They were concealed be-
ca1se the laws forbid the sale OF powder TO
natiyes. J.
Al tho end Of three months Lee oonsid-
cred that his trip had been . successful one
and decided 10 return home. following an
other route to Natal. One morning hs
''outspanned" at = small village where
there was . missionary station. The mis-
,%sionary himself was away. but his wife
game down TO the traders wagon. expect
ING TO ind many articles needed to rsplen-
ish her household stores. Lee sold what
she wished, all ths time looking at her in a
puzz'e ID At last hs exclaimed:
by George. ! know YOU now! bow j, under
"Sir." said the woman. deadly pale. but
drawing herself up P oudly. what do you
mean BY this insultS"
"Oh, stuff. Mollie; you oan't fool me. As
soon as saw you I knew had scen you be-
Flandsrs-Moll of San Franeisco-should
have tuned mp here. of all places in the
world. Pretty as ever. Nol!: see. Give
us a kiss for old times sake"
Graapine her suddenly in his arms he
kissed her again and again. Finally she
tore herself loose and fed. white with emo.
: tion.
Was she Mollis Flanders, or was abe not?
Lee was sure of it. but mistakes Of identi-
hcation do sometimes happen. Al any rate
she acted 80 if innocent.
Sitting down. the woman wrote . letter
TO her husband. telliug him how she had
been insulted and demanding reparati0n.
= This letter she sent BY a nstive TO the
~nsighboring village, whore her husband
was visiting. IS. IA
That night the trader took advantage Of
the moonlight to pursue his journey. and.
IS fate would have il. he and the letter
reached the village and the missionary At
the same time.
The missionary was q man OF sudden and
violent temper. He loved his wife dearly.
and the news of an insult to her ~broksdown
oil the barriers he had built up BY constant
training. Urged by him, the chief Of the
I village sent men to seize the trader. Sur
p!ised without his ans, Lee was made u
captive after ii desperate struggle n was
carried before the chief and the missionary.
The former was anxious not to go any fur
thor. The Zulu war was just over mi the
natives hardly liked to injure q white man
20 soon after the sharp Lesson they had re-
ccived. Still. urged by the missionary. the
chief finally o dered that Lee receive one
hundred lsshes IN his bare back.
Tho t.ader heard his Sentence calmly.
He made no defense to the charges, and
begged no mercy. He merely asked that
he be given Al hour 10 put his affairs ia
: order, in view of tho possibility Of a fatal
result from SO tremendous n beating. After
little hesitation the missionary agreed to
=, his. The wagon WAS searched and all
wespons were removed. Then Leo was
hoisted upon the seat and his hands were
freed. but his legs were still kept bound.
The missionary warned him that any at
III tempt TO FREQ them would result in the i'm
mediate execution of the sentence.
Once upon the box Lee tool out his writ.
ing materials and wrote two letters which
ne sealed ana tnreW upon the ground. Their
he reached down under the seat and quietly
drew tho plugs from the powder koks. TIT
powder flowed out into u black heap with
which each key connected.
Lee then lighted his pipe aud quietly
leaned back TO await the expiration of ID,
hour When ii was nearly mp he bent dow
and began TO unfastsn the bonds upon hi
legs. Instantly two native sprang ii him
but he raised his bend and looked At then
with 20 deadly q CLEAN in his eyes that the,
hes,tatsd. Another lnoment and his fss
would be free.
The missionary, seeing his prey about u
Escape. rushsd upon HIM. followed BY IL
whole asssmblaRs Of natives. Lee waite,
until they were nearly upon him and thsi
smptied the glowing contents of his pip
upon the powder.
A sharp CRY Of horror from the mission
ary was lost In q burst of fAme and a roa
like thunder; then q volume Of heavy whit
smoke rolled and SPREAD about the aoen
like a thick fog. Whom II had cleared ava
trader and missionary had both gone I
carry their disputes TO n higher tribunal
Only two blackened masses, hardly human
In form. remained TO show that thoy la,
ever lived. OF the natives fifteen lay dsa,
or dying upon the field.
To this day. II the traveller in that ssaio1
10 annoyed by too curious and intrusiv
natives, no has but TO shrow . handful O
roWdoI into the ARE TO eooure aksolute soli