The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-04-05
j. L. WALKERS STORY
Ex-CONsUL TALKS TO A REPORTER
BEFORE SAILING FOR HOME.
He Tells of His Hurried Conviction
GERS ON Board the Steamer.

copyright, 1896, by the Associated Press)
LONDON, April 4-Mr. John L. Waller,
formerly United States consul at Tamatave,
island of Madagascar, arrived in this city
a short time ago. after his release at the
instance of the United States government
from the French prison, in which he had
been confined under the sentence of twenty
years Imprisonment imposed on him by
court-martial for having correspondence
with the Hovas. He has been living in re-
tirement since his arrival, and on the adj
vice of his agents, who formulating
claim against the French government, has
not received any representatives of the En-
glish press However, Mr.. Waller, who
sailed for New York to-day, made state
ment to the Associated Press before his de-
parture. It Is the first time he has tod his
story to a reporter.
'.You will remember that Tamatave was
bombarded by the French in December, 1884,"
he began. 81 was then living at Tamatave.
Shortly after the bombardment wrote to my
wife. who was living up country. In my let
ter merely described the event, referred to
the sanitary condition OF the town and the
number of French soldiers there, but 1 did
also describe some of the barbarities 1 wit
messed. particularly the ravishing OF the Ho-
va women by French soldiers. On March 3.
1895, 1 was arrested at Tamatave. / asked
for time to obtain witnesses and TO know en-
what the charges against me were based
was told they were two in number. First.
for violation OF an order of JAM IS, 1895. re-
garding sending any letters except through
the French port; second. violation OF one or
the articles of the French military code, by
corresponding with the enemy regarding
French operations in Tamatave- / was at
raj uc
the services Of III. La Gray. He had only
forty-eight hours in which TO look into my
case. The trial was held on March 20, 1895,
and only lasted an hour. My lawyer fire.
quently told the court that such charges as
were adduced would be laughed at in a civil
court trial However | was condemned TO
twenty years solitary confinement.
ON the 25rd or Mafcn was paced on
steamer bound for Marseilles. was tod
that i would be given a stateroom for the
voyage. However, when l reached the boat
was conducted %, the h9sd and made to SIT
down on the platform WHICH is Just under
My guard, who was brutal French soldier,
simply said in reply to my question regard
ing room: You sit there A few moments
afterward huge iron bar was brought and
placed on the floor in front of me. To this
my ankles were chained. ! was then unable
to change my position. even enough to. lie
followed me from the jail to the steamer
They came on board, and, standing on the
deck, sDat down on me, l was soon COM
pealed to my guard and 10 several of the
French soldiers, but they only laughed at
me. As night came on it began to rain, and
| lay. poweriess to move, with the tropical
rain beating down on me. Being wet IN
that climate is always followed by fever, un-
less ones clothes are Immediately changed.
In the morning / was trembling with chills
At o'clock some breakfast was brought
me. 1t consisted of soup with rice and curry
in il and piece of bread. ] could not eat,
and begged for a cup of tea One of the
soldiers drew his sabre and exclaimed: Eat
that -, ~
81 was only released from my chains twice
a day. ten minutes in the morning and ten
in the afternoon. / was given but two meals
day All sn6 my II h eSoS SsH nb eS
ing. l had but one and half franc with
me. After leaving Zanzibar gave this to
a soldier and told him 20 buy me some
oranges He took the money. and when
saw him next day said, he had lost it. A few
French officers came on beard at Zanzibar:
One of them demonstrated with my guard
ard 1 was released from my chains. An
other officer, seeing me released. said: You
are an enemy to France. Tonight when you
you overheard / had been given a room,
and my guard slept in It near me. That
night L was aroused by noise in my room:
% tn 30 bed on q and
me ON the back Of the head asI was ascend
ing the stairway and knocked me down. /
got up, and, fearful for my life, struck him
In the face, cutting 1t open. The officers of
the ship came, and appealed 10 them Tor
protection. / was assured by them and by
the French officers who had befriended me
that nothing would be done to me for my
action in defending myself. After this cpl
sode the Frenchman kept away from me-
Going through the Suez canal was
again chained and again as we approached
Marseilles. At Marseiiies was conducted
to dirty, filthy prison L only remained
there few days, and then, handcuffed to
two other prisoners, was taken to the milf
tary prison at Claravaux. Here the food
was SO bad that / could not retain 1t on
my stomach. / appealed to the governor
of the prison and he sent the doctor to
ferred to the prison at Mines. On Feb. 20
1896. prison official arrived and told me
that my pardon had been received. With
il came a message from Mr. Eustis, in
Paris, directing me to draw on him for
money wish particularly to state that in
making my application for pardon. made
no agreement whatever to waive my claims
for damage against the French govern