The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-09-24
TOOK TWO HOURS
THAT WAS ALL IT TOOK FOR THE
FRENCH TO TRY WALLER

Mr.. woodford Who Arrived in Madagascar
Shortly After the Affair Tells the StorJ
In London-He Nafrates the Sum o.
| Walters Offending and Says that tn.
French are Running Things With q
High Hand - American Letters Sen,
Ashore from Ships are Torn Open BY TIA.
French OmciaIs-War of the Hovas.
| New York, Sept 23.-The London
News has the following: The latest ar.
rival from Antananarvio ir Mr. Ethel
bert G. Woodford. an American travel
er and engineer. vino reached Marseilles
/ on the 18th inst. from Madagascar
Since that date he has presented to
Mr.. Eustis, the United States ambas-
sador in Paris, a full report Of the case
of Mr.. Waller, the American ex-consul
at Tamatave, whose summary condem-
nation to twenty years Imprisonment
is now the subject Of an information
question between the governments of
France and the United States. Mr..
WOodford, who has also collected a
regarding foreign rights on the island,
arrived in the capital on the day of Col
onel Shervinton's departure, and re-
manned there for six weeks. Mr.. Wood
ford said:
Il left Antananarvio on May 81, six
weeks later than the British officers,
and am the only man now in England
who has come direct from Madagascar.
arrived in London three days ago from
Paris, having reached Marseilles on the
18th inst. / reached Madagascar in
March last in order to transact some
private business. On arriving at Tam
atave in the steamship Djemmah, on
March IL, all the passengers had land
ed, and Mr.. Cooper, my secretary, and
were preparing to leave the ship, when
we were notified that the French COM
mandant had sent orders that we were
not to land. l at once wrote a dispatch
to Mr.. Wetter. the acting American
consul. claiming my right as an Ameri-
can subject to land. Mr.. Cooper being
a British subject, addressed a similar
letter to the British consul. The let
ter to the American consul was opened
by the French officials and was received
by the consul torn open. AS a result
of energetic action by the two consuls
ted to land late at night, but our bag
gage was completely overhauled.
''On landing, heard that Mr.. Waller,
the United States eX-consul, was in pris-
On, having been arrested on a charge
OF communicating with the Hovas. A
week later, on Monday, March IS, Mr..
Waller was tried by military tribunal
and, after about a couple of hours, was
sentenced to twenty years imprison-
ment. He was convicted solely on doc
umentary evidence, for the most part
dated previous to the war, and no wit
nesseS were called. The charges were
based on number of letters written
by Mr.. Waller to his wife, which were
intercepted by the French. Among the
documents seized was an article of mine
written to an American journal, in
which 1 criticised the French occupa-
ton. This had been cut from a news
paper and inclosed by Mr.. Waller to
his wife. There was also a letter from
a Hova lad of 10 to Mr.. Waller, asking
the later to purchase him some stores.
among other thing, four revolvers. 1t
was on this evidence that the American
ex-consul was condemned. The feel
ings of Mr. Wetter and myself on hear
ing of this sentence can be imagined.
but we were the only two responsible
Americans in Tamatave, and we were
helpless, as no American gundoat was
near the coast. The United States con-
sui attended the trial and did all that
was possible, and l am convinced that.
had an American war ship been at
Tamatave, he would have insisted on
the American commander placing Wal
Ter on board under the protection Of
the American flag. AS it was, we could
do nothing 1 visited the prisoner af-
ter conviction, and on March % he was
shipped on the Djemah for France.
His stepson was also eYiled, and his
wife and children were left destitute.
On my arrival in Paris last week / at
once proceeded to the American en-
bassy. where 1 laid the case before Mr..
Eustis, the ambassador. and lodged a
protest against such treatment Of an
American citizen. / found that the
United States government had already
taken vigorous action, and that Mrs.
Waller and her children, whom / had
taken from Antananarvio TO Mauritus.
and there left almost destitute. were
on their way home.
''Well, to return to Madagascar. / re-
manned in Tamatave four weeks. The
town was like charnel house. The
hospitals were full: the troops were dy-
ing daily, and not night passed with
out funeral professions conveying dead
Frenchmen TO their graves at midnight.
The French had their lines of defense,
outside of which they never moved ow-
ing to the proximity of the Hova garri-
son. two and a half miles away The
outside line consisted of steel fence.
with sentries at intervals. 1t was con-
nected With electric batteries. and was
covered by the warshipS in the harbor.
My business lay in the capital, whittier
was anxious 10 go, but il was impoS-
sihle TO get through the lines. At last
/ succeeded in getting away from Ia
matave l walked down 10 the beach
early one morning and managed TO get
on board a small schooner bound for
Vatomandry, which place l reached
five days later. There / met num-
Der of British officers on their way to
the coast. and heard for the first time
OF Colonel Shervinton's resignation.
Having collected my bearers and carri-
ers. / started next day for the capital,
where I duly arrived on April Is. On
. the road up l met numbers of Hova
troops on their way to relieve the posi-
ton facing Tamatave. The journey
was an easy one and everything was
quiet
Regarding the situation in the capt.
tai. Mr.. Woodford said: The city was
perfectly quiet and there was no excite
ment on the part of the Hovas. who as
sumed a perfectly confident air. and
seemed convinced that the French
would never reach Autananarivo. The
only furry seemed TO be on the part Of
foreign residents. The day after my
arrival / had an interview with the
prime minister, who expressed perfect
confidence that God would protect the
country he had given 10 the Malagasy
He spoke in bitter tone OF the British
and American governments. and refer
red 10 his keen sense Of injustice and i'll