Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-09-19
THE WALLER CASE.
A Little History of a Timely Nature.

know the release Of John L. Waller
! an American citizen now imprisoned
in France, is 10 be peremptorily de
/ manded. The story of Walters arrest
] trial and Imprisonment, according te
reliable authority, is one of outrage
! on the part of the French government
I John L. Waller, a colored citizen OF
Kansas City. Kan, was in February
/ 1891, appointed United States consul
to Tamataye, Madagascar, an island
off the eastern coast of Africa. Waller
who is a man Of good education ard
considerable business ability. had
been active in Kansas republican
politics. and his appointment was
asked Of President Harrison by the en-
tire Kansas delegation in congress. in
Guiding Senators ingalls, and Plumb.
Waller went to Madagascar. taking
his family with him, and remained
there until late in 1893. when his sue
cessOr, a democrat named Wetter. re-
lieyed him. Waller was educated by
Ex-Governor Scott, of Iowa He was
slave, and with his parents was pur-
chased by Colonel Scott, who gave
them their freedom and placed them
on his Iowa farm. Young Waller
afterward went to Kansas, and was
the head of the electoral ticket in that
state when Harrison was elected He
received the largest number of votes
and cast them for President Harri-
son. His, friends wanted him ap-
pointed minister to Liberia. but he
was given the post of consul in Mad
agascar instead.
His life on the island was not an
easy one, and he suffered many iGdig-
mites, of which he was compelled to
complain to his successor, Consul Wet
ter. The French were incenSed to the
point of violence against him. believ-
ing that his representation had caused
the withdrawal by the United States
government of its alleged instructions
to Consul Wetter to obtain recognition
through the French president,
After going out of office it appears
Waller decided to remain in Madagas-
car a while on private business and in
pursuance of his plans obtained a con-
cession, embracing an area of 225
square miles of fine timber lands, from
the local government. Madagascar is
occupied by the Hovas, race of col
ored people akin to those on the
nearby African mainland. They are
reasonably we'll civilized and conduct
their own affairs, although France, by
sort Of military occupation, claims
a quasi-owHership. The governor of
Tamatave, through whom Waller OBJ
tanned MS concession, is a native
Hoya. The evident richness Of this
concession at once attracted the atten-
ton of the French
According to the story told by P.
II. Bray, a sOn-in-laW of Waller, who
came home from Madagascar in May
last, the eX-conSufs arrest was merely
because he had obtained this conces-
sion. Even while the negotiations
were in progress the French author
tiles in Madagascar showed their
jealousy Of the transaction. The size
and promised profit of the concession
seemed to annoy them. and from the
moment the negotiations were con-
Guided, according to Walters friends,
the French began to devise means for
getting him out of the way. They
sent word to him that if he would
take a concession elsewhere on the
island they would see that he got 400
instead of 225 square miles, although
it was not near so rich as the land he
had already obtained. These latter in
cluded sugar and coffee lands and fine
timber, such as mahogany and rose
wood, besides rubber trees. Waller re-
fused to give up or trade his cOnceS-
sion, and French representative at
once complained to the local authori-
ties that as France had not been con-
suited, it would be disp1eased to learn
Of the concession. The Hovas gov
ernOr paid no attention to the French
protests. holding that France had no
right to interfere. Then it was that
a preteXt was manufactured for
Walters arrest. He was placed under
surveillance and letters written by
him were intercepted The French
authorities claimed that they were
such as were intended to incite
the local government to rebellion.
Waller declared they were merely
business letters written to local au.
thOritieS relative TO bis concession.
The French pretended TO find warrant
in them for the prosecution Of Waller
OH -
belliOus Hovas, and he was at once
arrested This was last winter, and
his trial by Il French court-martial
was ordered. Before his arrest the
French had taken every opportunity
to Insult and assault him. They sent
notices TO his proposed sublessees Of
the land declaring that his lease,
which was for thirty years and had
been duly signed by the proper local
authorities, including the governor Of
Tamatave. was not good. Later be
was assaulted by French sailors and
an effort made TO kill him. At the
time Of his arrest the officers serving
the warrant refused TO read it to him
or to explain the nature Of the charges
against him. They led him away and
locked him up and for ten days they
refused to let him communicate with
his family or see the American con-
sui.
He finally employed a Frenchman
named Gerredeau as his attorney and
the day before the trial the French
authorities disbarred him from prac-