The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-12-16

which they failed to get at least por-
ton was an enormous ruby, worn as
royal armlet. They told the king that
he should give them that ruby so they
could present ID to Queen Victoria, and
that On receipt thereof she would be SO
pleased that nothing would serve her
but complete annihilation of King
Johns Egyptian enemies. For some un-
known reason, however, the king re-
manned obdurate, and that is why he
still possesses the ruby.
In 1885 the star of the Englishmen
began to wane. The Egyptian govern
ment made up its mind that there could
be no peace with Abyssinia until the
two Englishmen We're out of the coun-
try. So an expedition was sent out aft
er them under Osman Pasha, the best
officer in the khedive's army. Strangely
enough, he managed to capture them,
and they were carried to Cairo. Here
they were treated with extreme consid-
GRAFTON, and after the bare formality of
trial sentence of punishment was
imposed Major Barlow had no fancy
for leaving country that had flowed
with milk and honey, SO, by forging a
number of letters, by continuing his
policy OF intrigue, he gained permission
to take a quantity Of gunpowder with
him, travel east and exchange it for
ivory. He then bribed an Egyptian off,
cial, shipped tons Of gunpowder into
Abyssinia, was detected, fed, and final
ly succeeded in making his way back to
the nation that had made him power.
Retribution finally overlook him, how
ever, for the rod of iron with which he
ruled King Johns army produced mu-
tiny, and Barlow was killed by the
very men he had trained in arms.
Houghton accepted his sentence and
took passage ON vessel bound TOR
France. He was not content, however,
to refrain from evil even ON an ocean
voyage, and so he very shrewdly matte
overtures TO the captain of the vessel to
become a pirate, assuring him that
within two months he would make him
immensely wealthy. 1t so happened,
however, that the captain was rather
clever and thoroughly honest man. In
stead of joining in with Houghtons
schemes he landed him on the coast of
France at the very first opportunity.
So trifiing a misadventure as this
did not daunt Houghton in the least.
He made his way to Paris and posed
without delay as the accredited repre-
sentative of the King of Abyssinia. He
had considerable money, which, with
no hi mi a
capital for the time being. His life was
one of almost oriental luxury. Social
honors of all sorts were his. All classes
honored him and did all possible to
make life pleasant. Then he became en-
tangled in an alliance with notorious
woman, and series of orgies began,
beside which the greatest excuses Of
the Moulin Rouge are as child's play.
At last. however, the French police
arrested Houghton, and he was sent to
prison for two months. In the fall Of
1883 he made his way to England and
there began the career of swindling
that has ended in prison. From time
to time he was connected with very
shady transactions, but always man
aged to avoid arrest until short time
since, when he tried to blackmail q
London broker, was arrested, tried and
sentenced to 10 months at Wormwood
Scrubbs prison, London place of pun
ishment for criminals of the more de-
graded type.
There at the present moment is the
man who once held the fate of nation
in the hollow of his hand, breaking
stone for the good of England roads. -.
Washington Post.