The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-04-05

consul at Tamatave, Madagascar. ar
rived in this city a short time ago. af-
ter his release from the French prison,
in which he had been confined under
the sentence of twenty years impris-
onment imposed upon him by court
martial for having corresponded with
tine Hovas.
He has been living in retirement
since his arrival, and upon the adj
vice of his agents, who are formulat-
ing claim
AGAINST THE FRENCH
government, has not received any rep
resentatives of the English press. How
ever, Mr.. Waller, who sailed for New
York today, made the following state
ment to the Associated Press. 1t is
the first time he has told his story to
reporter:
You remember that Tamatave was
bombarded by the French in December,
| 1885, he began. Il was then living at
Tamata;ve. Shortly after the bonn
bardment I wrote to my wife, who was
living up country. In my letter i mere
Iy described the event, referred to the
sanitary condition of the town and the
| number of French soldiers there, but
/ did also describe some of the barbar-
tiles l witnessed, particularly the raw
ishing of the Hova women by French
soldiers.
ION March 5. 1885, was arrested at
Tamatave. L asked for witnesses and
to know what the charges against me
were L was told they were two in
number First, for violation of an or
der of January is, 1898, re-
gardFng sending any letters eX-
cept through the French post.
Second, violation of one of the articles
of the French military code, by cor
responding with the enemy regarding
French operations in Tamatave-
REFUSED COUNSEL.
81 was at first refused counsel, but
afterwards obtained the services of NJ.
La Gray. He had only forty-eight
hours in which to look into my case.
The trial was held on March 90. 1895,
and only lasted one hour. My lawyer
frequently told the court that such
charges as were adduced would be
laughed at in a civil court trial. How
ever, was condemned to twenty years
solitary confinement.
"On the 23d of March 1 was placed
on a steamer bound or Marsailles.
was told that 1 would be given a state
room. However, when l reached the
boat, 1 was conducted to the hold and
made to sit down on the platform which
is just underneath the hatchway for
low ering freight. My guard, who was a
brutal French soldier, simply said to
my question regarding a 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 1 was unable
then to change my position, even
enough to lie on my side. The
RABBLE OF TAMATAVE
had followed me from the Jail to the
steamer They came on board. and
standing on the deck spat upon me L
was soon covered completely with their
saliva. l appealed to my guard and to
several of the French soldiers, but they
emily laughed at me. AS night came on
it began to rain, and 1 was powerless
to move, with the tropical rain beating
down upon me. Being wet in that
climate is always followed by fever, I'M
less ones clothes are Immediately
changed. In the morning I was tren-
bling with chill. At s O'Clock some
breakfast was brought me. 1t consist
ed of soup. with rice and curry in it,
and a piece of bread. L could not eat
and begged for cup of tea. One of
the soldiers drew his sabre and ex-
claimed, Eat that
81 was only released from my chains
twice day, ten. minutes in the morn
ing and ten in the afternoon. l was
given but two meals a day. All my
effects had been taken from me and
was i'll provided with clothing.
81 had but IL francs with me. After
leaving Zanzibar 1 gave this to sol
dier and told him to buy me some Or
anges. He
TOOK THE MONEY,
and when 1 saw him next day he said
he had lost it.
"a few French officers came on
board at Zanzibar. One of them re-
monstrated with my guard and was
released from my chains Another OF
ficer, seeing me released, said: You
are an enemy of France. When you
are asleep l will cut your throat ana
throw you overheard l had been
given a room and my guard slept in
it next to me. That night l was
aroused by a noise in my room and
saw this officer standing at the foot
of my bed. l got up, dressed and
started to go on deck. He followed
me and struck me on the back OF the
head as I was ascending the stairway,
knocking me down. got up anu
fearful for my life,
STRUCK HIM IN THE FACE,
cutting it open. The officers of the
ship came ana dppHeu W Itch AOA
protection. 1 was assured by them,
and by the French officers who had be-
friended me, that nothing would be
done to me for my action in defending
myself. After this episode, the French
man kept away from me. Going
through the Suez canal L was again
chained and again as we approached
Marseilles At Marseilles L was con-
Quoted to dirty, filthy prison. only
remained there a few days and then,
handcuffed to two other prisoners, was
taken to the military prison at Clara
vaux Here the food was so bad that
1 could not retain it on my stomach
1 applied to the governor of the prison
and he sent the doctor to examine me.
From Claravaux l was transferred
to the prison at Mines. On February
20, 1896, prison official arrived and
told me that my pardon had been re-
ceived. With it came message from
MI Eustis, in Paris, directing me to
draw on him for money.
Il wish particularly to state that in
making my application for pardon, L
made no agreement whatever to waive
my claims for damages against the
French government"