The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1895-11-18
IT'S WORSE THAN SLAVERY
The Existence of Native Africans in the
Congo Free State.
THE STATEMENT OF A MISSIONARY
A System of Robbery and Extortion Fos-
tered by Minor offcials Which
Causes Frequent Outbreaks on
the Part of the Savage Tribes.

LONDON, Nov 1S-The Associated Press
has received n statement confirming the
reports of the terrible condition of affairs
in the Congo Free State from an American
missionary who has just returned to
Europe. The missionary in qL ,tion, the
Rev. John b. Murphy is on the staff of
the American Baptist Missionary union
He has worked in the Congo for nine
years, and returned to Antwerp recently
by the steamer Leopoldville. His last sta
tion was Equatorville, right in the center
of the Congo Free State. He is the last
arrival from there. He says:
"Hhe seat of the government Of the
Congo Free State is at Board, which is
fifty miles from the coast and $50 from
Stanley Pool, which ought to be the real
center, 1t takes four weeks to communi-
cate between these two places, hence it be-
comes almost impossible for the governor
to manage his vast and unweldy territory
and consequently the commissaires, or
petty governors of the interior districts,
have almost unlimited power. The officers
of the state are young and inexperienced.
They do not come out as colonists to de-
velop the country, but in order that they
may receive quick promotion, the Congo
decoration, and above all, to get money.
Ofcourse, there are exceptions, but it is only
the few who have an interest in the coun-
try and the well being of the people.
ut has been said by some trader that the
king of the Congo Free State is the largest
stakeholder in the dominions, and this is
true, although the officers, by play on
words, conceal the facts by calling them
liberated slaves. have been told by naval
and Cthar offiparc Of tho ctoto a oo,
tain sum per head is paid by the govern
ment to the commissaries of the districts
from which the slaves are received and to
the naval officers who bring such slaves
into camp. Fifty per cent of these
wretches are in starving condition.
"a word about the rubber and ivory
trading, or rather plundering of the state.
The officials have placed posts in all tho
towns upon the river banks, and in most
of the inland towns. Each post is COM
manded by a black corporal and com
pany of soldiers belonging to a hostile
tribe, armed with European guns, so that
the natives are terroriZed by their presence
These soldiers are commanded to stop
every canoe that passes the river post. The
natives try to pass without being noticed
The soldiers seize their canoes and confls-
cate their contents. If the natives should
muster up courage enough to call, then
they are forced to sell their ivory or
whatever their canoe contains at the
soldiers own price. 1 have seen these
things and have demonstrated with the
state for years, but got no satisfaction
'Hhe rubber question in our district is,
however, by far the most pressing. 1t has
reduced the people to a state of despera-
tion. 1t is collected by force The soldiers
drive the people into the bush, and if they
will not go they shoot them, and their left
hands are cut off and taken to the com
missaire as trophies. The soldiers do not
care who they shoot down, and they often
shoot poor helpless women and harmless
children. Their hands-the hands of men.
women and children-are placed in rows
before the commissaire, who counts them
to see that the soldiers have not wasted
their cartridges.
81 cannot tell how many wars this uues
tion has caused, but l will tell of one In
November, 1894, they had great fight on
the Bosir, because the people refused to
give rubber, and am told upon the au-
thority of a state officer that 1880 people
were killed in the fight The commissaire
is paid a commission of about one penny
pound upon all the rubber he gets 1t is
therefore to his interest to get as much
as he can, and the plants are being ruined
by his hasty proceedings.
'In regard to the misgovernment of the
state. The white officers do not know the
language of the people that they govern,
and trust too much to their native soldiers,
who are, as a rule, men belonging to hos
tile tribe, whose chief aim in life is to
plumber.
Upon one occasion, in the month of
November, 1894, some soldiers ran away
from the state steamer 1t was said they
went to the town of Bompan ga. The state
sent "a message telling the chief Of the
town to give them up. He answered that
he could not, as they were not there and
had not been there The state sent the
same messenger a second time, saving;
Come to me at once or war in the morn
ing The messenger returned to his mas
ter without delivering the message, saying
the chief sent back defiant answer In
the morning he sent down two canoes
The old chief went out to meet them as a
friend, but was wounded his wife killed
before his eyes, and her head cut off in or
der that they might possess the brass neck
lace which she wore. Twenty-four of his
people We're also killed.
Again, Uhe people of Lake Muntumba
had run away on account of the cruelty of
the state. Being anxious to get these
people back they sent party of soldiers,
in charge Of colored corporal, to treat
with them. On the way they met a canoe
containing seven of them and ON some
paltry pretext made the people land, shot
them, cut off their hands and took them
to the commissaire. The Muntumba
people complained TO the missionary at
lrebon. He found that one of the seven
was little girl who was not quite dead
He rescued the child and she lives today
the stump of her handless arm being
witness against the horrible practice"