St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-01-08
M1srooK THEM FOR ARABS.
Hattie Between French and Err
giish Soldiers.

! LONDON. Jan. 6. Particulars con-
corning the battle between French and
| British troops OH the frontiers of Sierra
| Leone, on the northwest coast of Africa,
! are coming slowly, and every hour
seems to give a grayer aspect to the
affair. The situation will require care
| full handling in order to avoid serious
| complications. Particulars of the ell
| gagcment received today say that the
| British force, said to number about 500
native troops, sent against the Sofas,
were encamped near Warina, in the
| sphere of British influence, shortly be-
| fore daylight on Dec. %. This force was
attacked by thirty Senegalese sharp
shooters, supported by 200 native French
auXiliaries under Lieut.. MOritz, of the
French regular army.
The French opened fire upon the
British. who replied, and after the fight
ing had continued for some time the
French retired, and Lieut.. Moritz, who
had been wounded. was captured by the
British and brought into camp. Upon
being questioned as to his reason for
opening fire upon the British troops,
Lieut.. Moritz explained that he mistook
the British force for a force of Sofas
under European officers and Arab lead
ers. Lieut.. MoritZ. in spite OF the as
sistance promptly rendered him, died
of his wounds. In addition ten of the
Senegalese sharpshooters were killed,
and of the frontier police who accom-
panied the expedition, IN addition to
Inspector Lendy, two were killed and
three were seriously wounded. The
British force, 1t is added, remains at
Warina.
The governor of Sierra Leone cabled
to the Marquis of Ripon, secretary of
stale for the colonies, today, confirming
the dispatch in all points, and adding
that the French pretend that they
thought the British were enemies,
though it appears certain that the
scene of the encounter was well on the
British side of the border. The colonial
Office this afternoon announces that the
affair will be made the subject of
a stringent inquiry, so soon as full de-
tails of the affair are received from the
governor of Sierra Leone
Later news received from Sierra
Leone says that the encounter took
place during a period of bright moon
light, and tina. when the French sur
prised the British force the latter were
unprepared for the engagement, and
could not easily have been mistaken for
Sofas. The later dispatches also say
that the French officer in command,
who was mortally wounded, prior to his
death in the British camp, was able to
explain his blunder. He said that in
the moonlight he mistook the white
campaigning costume of the British
officers for the white dress of Arab
chiefs, whom he supposed to be in COM
mand OF force of Sofas. 1t is now
said that this statement OF the French
officer makes it perfectly clear that
mistake was made by the French, and
that no responsibility attaches to the
British officers.
1t is rot yet explained, however, what
the French force was doing in locality
which was we'll Within the British
border, and it is this point which is
liable to lead to serious complications
when coupled with the shooting of Brit
ish officers and soldiers.
The leading English newspapers are
all inclined to suspend judgment over
the affair until full details of the en-
gagement are received from the COVER
nor of Sierra Leone, and until an ex-
PLANTATION is furnished by the French
authorities as to the presence within the
British border of such large force of
French troops.