The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-01-20
IN THE BLACK REPUBLIC
Some OF the Comedies ami Tragedis. -.
the History of Hayti.
From Fannie ID. Wards Letter
IhILaleInhia -, " Ne

"a = ~
Philadelphia Record Hls
] think ii was about 1911 tba+
ilhe5 was declared King Of Hahn ~,
his first act was to order the rrss.. ai1
or all the French residents of the So
and the burning Of Cap Hatien "a
assassinated, probably by one Of ~ a9
ioioWers' Jealous Of his power. and en-.
ceeded by Christophe, the cafe 49,
VINO established an hereditary moparct'
the first and only one of its kind ol,,s53'
OF Africa. He had himself crowned -
Henri, !, and instituted a nobility NJ
such ridiculous titles as the Duta I,
Lemonade, the Duke of MarmaIade
others equally grotesque. Even an 49,
OF knighthood was created. the "Knigb+,
of st. Henry. and the mobility" bsl,
late plantation hands like their ~
ana master, could neither read nor writ
After barbarous reign Christophe dt.i
by his own hand, in his castle Of Sans
Souci, in the environs of Can Hatisa
His rival, President Boyer, of the sons
of Haiti. assumed the government -
the island. and for a period of tvent,
three years unprecedented peace ana
prosperity ensued. during which Csa
Hatien was largely rebuilt.
Then, early in May of 1912. without
moments warning, the whole nortbs--
shore of the island was convulsed by an
earthquake, whole towns were crushed
thousands of people We're killed and can
Hatien again left a shapeless mass ~
ruins. To this day the older inhabitants
of the cities tell stories of how the conn
try people focked into plunder the ruins
and were too eager for ilI-gotten hoot,
to lend a helping hand to their diving
and manned countrymen. 1t is said that
even the soldiers from the neiehbortnr
barracks aided in plundering the stores
hlled with goods. instead of helping their
relatives and friends in sore distress.
Whole families became extinct in the an
palling catastrophe, and Cap Hatien has
never recovered from the blow.
The palace of San Souci, or rather tbs
ruins of it, is to-day the most famous all
traction of the place. Built upon the brow
of HILL in a long, lovely valley shut i'm
by mountains, its terraces and esplanadas
and towers, and belvederes, and long
suites of apartments, were extensive
enough for any king, black or white
There was the throne-room, where the
cruel Christophe, Henry l.. King Of the
North" held his receptions, and a private
church for the tyra1t and his family. Tia
palace gardens supplied flowers and fruits
of every variety, and mountain streams
We're diverted from their courses to flow
through them in falls and cascades and
from the towers and terraces the most
superb views We're obtained. Here was
enacted a burlesque of royalty that caused
the world to smile, some of the distn-
guished titles of which still survive
though Haiti has long been nominay a
republic, and the mobility" of to-day look
down very much on the untitled white
trash" who have settled in their midst
in Cap Hatien YOU may yet read some Of
the grand. eloquent dispatches of the Count
OF Lemonade, dated at the palace OF Sans
Souci, with frequent illusions to His
Majesty, Henry l." The whole palace is
in ruins now and roofess. having been
completely shaken down by the last earth
quake, but is majestic even in decay,
every standing bit of wall and piller drap-
ed with vines and creepers. Among the
many stories still told of Christhope IS
how he massacred a great number of col
ored women on the strength of a rumOr
that they had prayed for his defeat in bat
tie. The negro ruftlan, who was the kings
eNecutloner. was a savage of massive
build and acquired such dexterity from
frequent practice that he boosted of being
able to decapitate man or woman with a
single blow of his sabre. For fourteen
years the officers and subjects of the
African king knelt before him as slaves.
not daring to look him in the face and
with wave of the hand he consigned to
the dungeon or TO death any who displeas-
ed him. DID he want a carriage built or
any article made, he would have the arti--
hcer brought before him. How long VIII
it take you to make one like this?' he
would ask of the trembling mechanic.
Three months" perhaps would be the re-
ply IF it is not here before me, finished
and perfect in every particular, in two
weeks, you viii be thrown from the preci-
pice, was all that Christophe designed 10
add. 1t was in 1920 that he committed
suicide in this palace
He was suffering from partial paralysis.
and hearing that some of his generals had
reVolted and were marching to attack
him, and had already fired his canetields,
he had himself put into a rlm-and- pepper
bath and rubbed by his attendants. This
made him feel SO much better for the
moment that he ordered his people to as
semble, and seated himself in the gallery
of his palace in a dressing gown and
the curious hat he always wore. with two
OF his daughters near him. But present
ly he became so Supplied that he fell
upon his knees, before his own court, as
IN the attitude of supplcation. This was
too much for his pride. Rising with diff
hculty he babe goodbye to his family,
withdrew to his chamber and shot him
sell with silver bullet. The officers ana
the people of the palace Immediately
sacked it of all valuables, while the wife
and daughter enveloped the body Of the
Utdu King IN hammock ana ned WIN
II to the Citadel of Laferriere, where his
tomb may be seen, surrounded with high
walls. The Citadel" is about two hours
ride from the palace and well worth
a somewhat toilsome climb to the foot OF
it. The walls of the fort, built upon a
knoll several hundred feet above the sea,
are from fifteen to twenty feet thick. and
OF great height, of masonry or solid stone
There are several batteries of the larg-
est kind of ordnance placed one above
the other, and here We're the arsenals
and storehouses of the king. 1t took six
teen years to build it, and it is said that
such was the cruel treatment of the lab
orers employed upon it, without pay anu
very little food, that 10000 persons per
ished in its construction. There is no
doubt that from the dizzy height OF its
topmost towers thousands of people were
thrown by order of the king; so that II
came properly by its nick name, the
Gran Boucan."
A Minister Writes:
After ten wears of great stYfferfno from