The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-06-16
A GENUINE CANNIBAL HERE.
A Son Of In African King In The Pen
itenliaTy,
he IS HUNGRY FOR MORE HUMAN MEAT.
How the Victims Are Prepared Tor rood
How He Came 10 yirginis-sentenced
TO Prison for Criminal Assault
Story of His Life.


1t came to light yesterday that among
the prisoners in the Virginia penitentiary
is a genuine cannibai. He Is the only
enc IN this state. The prison authorities
knew of the fact short time af;er me
prisoner was received. but said n0thibs
about it until a Catholic priest IN ms
city, who had minis'ercd TO the prisoner,
let the cat out OF the bag. and the iu'nur
was soon substantiated beyond a uoup..
Assistant Superintendent White, OF ths
pcnitentiary. when seen yesterday, Sa'u,
yes, we have q real. live cannlDdi
here / thought the newspapers woulu
have found II out before this, but IT seems
that they haven't
HIS PERSONAL APPEARANCE.
ESQ Aso Is the name OF the cannioaIl
originally. but since his residence -.
America he has been going by the naile
of Antonio Frederick. eognomrh ~
picked up somewhere during his loyaseS
as q common sailor on the hlsh So.
lie appears to be about thirty -ihtse IN
Of age, though he insists that he - III
his ffty-eighth year. lie is SIX ieet w
inches high. weighs ia pounds, ana nas
a magnificent physique. u Oi a NE. .Tes
low forehead. straight nose, ana hI,s ui'
usually thin for an African. ne IS Dy
means a bad-looking negro. lie reaus
and writes well, talks iutelligently, WIN
a foreign accent leaning towards TIE
Oriental brOgue and has nervous, lerny
way Of noticing things generally shy
in manner and rather reluctant 10 tel
about HIS early life and family cOnnec-
lions. the African furnishes an interest
ing Study. He Is "A remarkable athlele
muscular, active, and fleet OF 1oot. he
has been known 10 climb around on ndi-
comics and ycrandas at the prison Wnere
none Of the other prisoners would dare
venture During his thirty-two years
residence in America and Europe ne has
picked up deal OF i c,yi1at,o1 a vel
cherishos many OF the legends and Gus
toms of his native land. He claims ic
be proSeiyted 10 the Catholic faith, and
wears his beads and cross. He prays
three times a day and reads his Bible
regularly.
MAS-rATER.
Despite all this. ESQ Aso still has
keen appetite for human flesh. lie de-
clares that cannibal never loses his
taste in this respect. and insists that
he would not hesitate 10 partake heartily
of such a menu II he could secure hui
man flesh for a meal.
"As soon as my term here is out"
said he. I'm going back TO the OLD
country. where / can eat man-meat with
out danger. When once you've eater
| IL you never lose taste for IL. There
| isn't any better eating in the world.
! only wish | had some for dinner to-
| day There are In this prison some line
specimens for our folks to eat if we had
them in Eashon."
This he said in an earnest serious
| way. emphasizing his remarks now and
| then with q significant gesture His
| entire manner left no doubt OF his sin
| certy, and after once understanding. with
some difficulty, that a frank statement
| OF his life and customs in Africa would
result I'm no trouble 10 him, the cannibal
became a trihe more communica tive, am
| gave a clear straightforward statement
now and then introducing words in his
own language, as though unconsciously
| dropping into that habit.
Tbs SON or KING.
"Iy fathers name is ESQ Aso." said
| he. "and l. the eldest son. was named
| after him. My father was king OF five
| settlements on the Binn river. in Eastern
| Africa. near the big desert These set
| Elements were Boshon, wher we lived: EN-
| budikin. Kauno, Goshka. and kawarri
| lie was rnler of about seventeen nun
| dred people In all he Tad five wives.
Ny mother, whose 1ame was Nindebar,
Was killed by the Ifromo. He was the
| man who made the sacrifices at the altar
| and gave the people religious instr .ction.
| He found out that my mother bewitched
| enc OF our elephants and made him kill
| my young brother. The EfrOmo then
| tied my mother 10 tree, where she re-
| naind without food until sh died. when
| he burnt her body on the altar. The
| EfrOmo was six feet four inches high,
| and wore a mask when he went in pub
when / was sixteen years old the
| Juka. a priest named Ngwi. who lived I'm
| Sikita, some distance away. took me from
| M father ana kept me as his servant.
| fought I'm 'he battles with the neignb0r-
| ing tribes for year or two along the
| kog ana Nog mountains. and killed many
men. We had TO fight for four or fiiNe
| days every three months 10 get men 10
| eat once / got wounded IN the side, but
got away and got well after month.
| We fought with bow and arrow and
| spears. Sometimes we put ujl, Kind or
| poison. on the points OF the weapons.
Row THE MN WE'RE COOKED.
eve killed the prisoners and cooked
them BY putting them on a cross SD. par,
| fire made IN a square pit underneath.
| The hams and shoulders are the best
| 10 eat. and the muscles Of the arm were
eaten TO make MS strong ana brave. WIN
| the meat was served a sauce made by
| boiling certain herbs. There D. no bet
| ter eating in the world than that- II Is
tender and juicy. and very wholesome.
| When once you eat n ana get used 10 IL
| nothing will take IFS place.
AFTER the meat was all taken OFT tie
| bones and skull were given 10 the boys 10
play with The skull was then dried IN
| The sun, and the children i0und ihuch
| amusement f. filing II up with Sand ahd
| letting Il run through the eye Sockets
| That was nearly all the means OF amLse-
| mcnt we had
| KILLED HIS MASTER AND ESCAPED.
"The priest who took ne from my
| father sold me 10 a man named Hal
| icaloii an African. who belonged 10
1 tribe further west. ! killed my master
| In his camp ole night and ran away.
| soon afterwards / took passage on the
| shin Savannah and came 20 the west
| In6ies / couldn't speak any Ergish or
| French or Spanish. and / didn't uhl-r-
! stand a word anybody said. WAS
| i'm the West Indies only about nftccn
| davs. when / got aboard the Tennessee
| md went TO one OF the cities on the At
! iaufic coast. Drifting from place 10 place
| Gnallv went 70 Norfolk. and soon All ~
| that / left Norfolk and was put 10
| fighting.
| AT THE BATTLE OF MoBiLF.
Il was then grown man. but couldn
Understand anything people said. ! only
J know they gave me "A blue sult anu d
| gun and put me on big snip. hIeo
! my gun whenever the captain maze lhe
| ethers shoot. but | never kne" What tncy
! we're all fighting abont. For TWO years
| MAS fighting, most Of the time On
| beard ship l was at Mobile pay N.rll
| mo ram was sunk there. ana al roIl
| Usher | was shot in the chin.
| Al this point the man pointed 10 an
| old wound on the chin. which nad LETT an
| rriv scar, and stated that ne was siruIA
| there by glance lick from a large pdii-
| After relating stmc iurther eNlcli-.'fS
| ia n clearly Ineligible way, he gave an
| account of some OF his voyages es a
| sailor. and appeared 10 have aecpmu-
| - a daol ~ scattered information