New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-04-12
EX-CONSUL WALKERS STORY.
THE LIBERATED PRISONER TELLS HIS
SIDE OF THE AFFAIR
HE BL.AMEs CONSUL wETTER FOR HIS MIsFOR
TUNE-AN AWFUL. TRIP TO PRISON
THE PART AMBASSADOR
EUSTIs PLAYED.

EUSTIs PLAYED.
In the second cabin Of the New-York which ar
rived from Southampton yesterday morning. was
John l.. Waller. formerly United States Consul 10
Madagascar who sentenced to twenty years
solitary confinement. transported to France for i'm
prisonment, and released February 20 through
the intervention Of the United States Government.
Waller is very dark-skinned negro. and has evil
IDENTIFY received good education. When the steam
er reached the pier Waller in such a hurry to
his wife that he refused to talk to reporters
until after o'clock yesterday afternoon He went
Immediately from the pier to No. 127 West Seven
teenth-st. where he expects to stay until Tuesday.
when he will leave the city for Baltimore and Wash
ington. committee OF nine appointed by the
members OF the XIXth Assembly District Republic
Club were al the pier to meet him. and they in
vted him, in the Of the club. to be present at
a reception to be given in St. Marks Methodist
Episcopal Church, in Fifty-thrd-st. near Eighth
ave. tomorrow night. Mr.. Waller said last night
that he would in all probability accept the invitation.
In response to the questions asked him. Mr.. Wal
Ter sat down and rehearsed the situation from the
time that he rea he'd Madagascar until his release
from the prison at Mines. His troubles with the
French: the alleged apathy Of the present Consul.
Edward T. Wetter; his seizure by the French; his
alleged Imprisonment without trial. his final trial
upon alleged trumped-up charges without the ad-
vice and aid Of counsel and his sentence TO twenty
years solitary confinement In military fortress In
France" were all gone over with great detail.
He said IN speaking Of Consul Wetter: mr.. Wet
t.. angry at me on account OF paragraph
that had written in a letter TO my wife. The let
ter came no the hands of the French and thus
came into public notice In that letter l said: Mr..
Wetter is conspiring to accuse Charles T. Lyons OF
grave offence that will put him in prison for from
eight 70 ter years After my first trial and SEN
tence a second trial was promised me. ana r.. w.
Woodford an American citizen, came to the prison
where wa, confined to me- He had been In
Ioys and had hppn
the consulate. He said to me- Have courage
want tc advise you. have come from the United
States Consulate. You referred to the Consui III
your letter The United States acting Consul has
got his knife into you Let me advise you TO write
q letter. asking pardon for what you have written
about him. You need his help l wrote TO MT. wet
ter o long letter and asked him to come and see
me officially also asking pardon for what had
said in the letter to my wife. He did not come 10
see me- but wrote me a long letter saying 'ha'
had been guilty OF a violation OF the law ana tha'
Will the Government Of the United states "ouia
interf, .e TO prevent my oppression. need not eH
pect immediate relief or scarcely clemency' He
knew when he wrote that letter that It would De
opened by the French 1t was sent TO the jail Inc
corpora! took it, told me that had received ie'-
ter and then took 1t TO Captain laoeHo the o'''cer
in charge In about four hours the letter came
back to me opened. AS it was given me 'he zap,
tain said: There is your letter. Your own cohsui
saws that YOU are guilty. How can you blame us
the French That letter was the direct reason nwn
why s esss 'ra ia S eS e Of MIR
When he had finished he SAID III Is mOs seni Mile
your trial is pending In answer to ms law
Weter said: 1t is violation OF friendIv
power TO break the United states cohsuiar sa,bcr
letters Yet 1t makes no difference 10 me ne voi
are broken or not He also told me that ne , oid
not wish to burden m hi, s mail; oy Wlrn any
Mr. Walters story OF his sunerings on Toana we
to Marseies II published In full would reaa lhe
dime novel HIS voyage from iaina va ,,o wh1n
covered with NTH. clad only In the scanry cto'ns: me-,
he had worn the time Of his impr.sonment We,
through by the driving topiea ram n ,na'
and suffering from the dread Ma!agasy fever ne
was not given anything to eat or drink i9r i"o s
and half and when Zanzibar was reached nc IVES
early dead from starve ton. sickness and exposure;
According to his stor; French eap. s n,erea the
to him just before the yessei ensere. s
relief the treatment there In many cases bruaI
in the extreme. Two or three OF the oicers on we
Dilemma, the vessel that brought MN IRON ia, h
tave TO Marseilles. were Kind 10 NM ana MI
of,,ces were ali that saved him from "A horrible
DEATH he says. He also denied the statetneIt ,ha,
ne said made by the Department OF Sta.e INA, ,na'
he received medical aid upon MS ARRIVAL d. "A'
II was landed at Marselles on April %. 1886 on
Eustis in which he said i believe your pardon
can be obtained. II involves the admission on your
par, OF the validity OF your trial and conviction, ana
would bar you on that account ron any any Gai'I
had been a prisoner In solitary confinement. J re.
piled 10 the Ambassador that would not admit
nv claim against the French Government. i heard
no more until February 20. 1896, when received
telegram signed 'Eusts. which eaid: Papers ior
your pardon have been signed. II you need money
VI re m