The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-04-05
In A FILTHY HOLE
CRUEL. COWARDLY ATTACKS
ON PRISONER J. L. WALLER.
The Ex-s onsul to Madaga Relates the
Horrible Details of His Experience
While In Custody.
Copyright. 1896. by Associated Press.


London, April 4-John L. Waller
formerly United States consul at Tam
atave, Madagascar. arrived in this city
a short time ago, after his release from
the French prison. He has been living
in retirement since his arrival, and up
on the advice of his agents, who are
formulating a claim against the French
government, has not received any rep
resentatives of the English press. How
ever, Mr.. Waller, who sailed for New
York to-day, made the following state
ment to the associated press: you
will remember that Tamatave was
bombarded by the French in December,
1898. Shortly after the bombardment
/ wrote to my wife, who was living
up the country. / merely described the
event, referred to the sanitary condi-
tion of the town and the number of
French soldiers there, also described
some of the barbarities / witnessed"
Waller then gave the details of the
trial, and continuing SAID: "On the 23rd
of March l was placed on a steamer
bound for Marseilles. / was conducted
to the hold and made to sit down on
the platform which is just underneath
the hatchway for lowering freight. My
guard, who was a brutal French SOL
dier, simply said in reply to my ques-
tion regarding room. you sit there
A few moments afterwards a huge
iron bar was brought and placed on
the door in front of me. To this my
ankles were chained. was unable then
to change my position even enough to
lie on my side. The rabble of Tama-
tave had followed me from the Jail to
the steamer. They came on board. and
standing on the deck, spat upon me.
i was soon covered completely with
their saliva. I appealed to my guard
and TO several of the French soldiers,
but they only laughed. AS night came
on IL began to rain and / lay powerless
to move, with the tropical rain beating
down upon me. Being wet in that cli-
mate is always followed by fever. In
the morning i was trembling with a
chill. At o'clock some breakfast was
brought me. / begged for cup OF tea.
One of the soldiers drew his sabre and
exclaimed eat that / was only re-
leased from my chains twice a day.
10 minutes in the morning and 10 in
the afternoon. i was given but two
meals a day.
"A few French officers came on
board at Zanzibar. One of them re-
monstrated with my guard and l was
released from my chains. Another off,
Ger, seeing me released, said: You are
an enemy Of France. When you are
asleep ! will cut your throat and throw
you overheard. naQ Deen given a
room and my guard slept in 1t next to
me. That night / was aroused by a
noise in my room and saw this officer
standing at the foot of my bed. got
up. dressed and started to go on deck
He followed and struck me on the back
of the head as l was ascending the
stairway, knocking me down. / got up
and, fearful for my life. struck him in
the face. cutting II open. The officers
of the ship came and / applied to them
for protection.
After this episode the Frenchman
kept away from me. Going through the
Suez canal / was again chained and
again as we approached Marseilles. At
Narseilles l was conducted TO a dirty,
filthy prison. / only remained there a
few days and then. handcuffed 10 two
other prisoners. was taken TO the mill
tary prison at Claravaux. Here the
food was so bad that / could not re-
tain IL on my stomach. From Clara
vaux was transferred TO the prison at
Mines. on Feb. 20. 1896, a prison offi-
cial arrived and told me that my par
don Rad been received. With IL came
a message from Mr.. Eustis. in Paris.
directing me 10 draw on him for money.
Il wish particularly TO state that In
making my application for pardon.
made no agreement whatever 20 waive
my claims for damages against the
French government"