The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-11-17
MOST PECULIAR KING.
HIS CROWN 4 Plug HAT. HIS SCEP-
TER Az UMBRELLA.

i
From the New York World.
The King OF Ashantee. the most extra
ordinary ruling potentate of the world.
stands suddenly revealed OF ali the as
tonishing kings OF Africa or South sea
island cannibal chiefs. De is the most re-
markable.
King Prempeh, King of Ashantea has
dehed the English government. He mas
announced his readiness for war and IS
now awaiting the arrival Of the British
troops.
The King Of Ashantee is the absolute
monarch of about 100000 subjects. They
live in the heart of the African forest a
few hundred miles back from the Cold
Coast The king wears q girdle of dried
grass around his hips and plug hat.
He owns no crown, but in some way has
become. possessed Of a silk hat which
now does duty as an emblem of sover-
eighty.
Another remarkable fact about this
barbarious king is that he has no throne.
He has. however. solid gold stool, which
does service as a throne. 1t takes four
able-bodied slaves to tug this heavy stool
around.
But the great official emblem OF royal
authority is an umbrella. This curiosity
has big bamboo handle and spokes of
embossed gold. On the end of each spoke
is human skull. Nobody, not even the
king himself, knows the significance of
this strange scepter Of majesty. but it
has descended to him from a long line of
ancestry.
King Prempeh, among other things, has
exactly 1888 wives allowed him by law.
Why this liberal figure was decided upon
MS majesty does not know Like the UNI
brelia, they came to him by Inheritance.
Inc KING wears earrings. They are OF
solid gold. He also has other personal
adornments Of solid gold. His royal an
cestors all wore gold earrings, too.
His majesty lives In a big stone and
native brick palace-the only structure
of the kind in the kingdom. His royal
highness sleeps on the floor.
The king is several times a million
aire, and II is believed that he has sew
eral barrels of gold dust and nuggets.
Ashantee is rich in gold.
King Prempeh is blOodthirsty mon
arch and he is in the habit Of making
human sacrifices on a wholesale scale.
Whenever 1t pleases him TO do so he
orders a few hundred subjects to be be-
headed. Besides this, during certain re-
ligious ceremonies, il is customary to kiln
subjects. 1t Is this practice which Ems
land wants the king TO stop. And it is
to put an end to these human sacrinces
that the British troops will wade In
to the forest and make war on the king.
1t Is just twenty-One years since the
British government appropriated "a, Co.,
the King of Ashantee TO terms, and be-
fore the expedition got back, after burn
ing Coomassie, his capital, 1t has cost as
much more.
The English troops under Sir Garnet
Wolseey remained only two days in the
capital of Ashantee. Before they left
the savage potentate agreed to do GER
tain things. That was King Koffee.
His successor, the present King Of
Ashantee, King Prempeh, has not full
Turning aside from the complications
of the eastern question, the dispute about
Venezuela and the row with Russia over
China, the British government sent an
ultimatum to the King Of Ashantee. They
gave him until Oct. 81.
But this savage monarch was not
frightened by the ultimatum of Britain.
He did not even walt until the ultimatum
expired.
A dispatch from Accra, on the gold
coast, dated on the last day of October,
said that Capt. Donald Stewart, the spec
ial British commissioner, who had
gone to Coomassie, escorted by 100 Hous-
sas, had returned to the coast. He said
that the king had rejected the ultimatum
and dehed Great Britain.
The King of Ashantee said in effect
that he did not care a snap of his finger
for the British government, and that lie
was looking for a fight. According to the
opinion on the gold coast, he will get II.
The king, at the time the British COM
missioner left Coomassie, appeared TO be
preparing for war.
The terms of the ultimatum were that
he should have a British commissioner
in his country, and that he should place
Ashantee under the protection" of Great
Britain. This burly negro. who has 1888
| wives and orders peoples heads to be cut
off If his breakfast disagrees with him.
| is believed to know what the protection
of Great Britain" means
England now controls the coast outside
of his territory. The French. control the
neighboring country of Dahomey, whose
king Is protected by a body guard of
armed women Ashantee is rich in gold
and both England and France have long
l a
According to the atest dispatches from
the Gold Coast, where the coming war on
conversation, there will be no time lost
in making a start A strong force of i'm
perial and native troops, 1t is said, will
now be sent TO Coomassie to bring the
king to terms Sir Francis Scott. the
| inspector general of the Gold Coast
forces who is now in England, will leave
for West Africa as soon as possible to
organize the force.
The advance of the British into the
King of Ashantee's country is expected
to be well under way early in December,
In the mean while troops viii be sent
to Accra from Lagos and other places.
All is now excitement on the Gold Coast.
There is probably not another African
monarch who can cause the British gov
eminent so much trouble and expense as
the King of Ashantee. He is very pow
erful pOtentate. His people are all born
fighters. who would rather fight than eat.
He is an absolute despot. The King of
| Ashantee could give points in despotism
Russia. If the car were to do things
which the King of Ashantee thinks moth
ing of doing there would be a vacancy
in the Winter Palace.
If any man looks at one of his 1888
wives that mans name is Dennis. Some
of these numerous wives of the King of
Ashantee are not worth looking at it is
true, but the owner of any profane eyes
that even by accident happened to rest
upon them would be conducted to a shady
grove in the neighborhood of the town
and fail to return.
When one king dies 1900 people are kill
ed as a guard of honor to accompany him
to the other world. As may as 10000 are
reported to have been killed on one occa-
sion in a single day.
Upon every national festival it is also
the custom of the King of Ashantee to
offer human sacrifices. People are be-
| lived to be killed almost every day at
Coomassie, the capital, and this kind Of
l official murder is a regular thing.
The one thing which has always ex-
cited the horror and amazement of trav-
elers who have penetrated into this At
rican town, lying 140 miles back from the
Gold Coast is the Grove of Skulls, where
in countless numbers the bones of vic
Tins of the king lie upon the ground with
the fostering remains of those who have
! recently been dispatched.
Here, where Vultures gorged with hu-