The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-24
MASSACRE RECALLED
%
THE BLOODgHlRSTY KING OF BENIN
TO BE TRANSPORTED.
Ships May BE Sent to TanSier
to Punish MOOrs.
PROTEST FROM BANKERS
LONDON FINANCIERS OPPOSED TO
BANK OF ENGLAND'S SCHEME.
Letter from Lord Farrer on the Silver
tians Against the Authorities.

LAGOS, West Coast of Africa, Sept. %
Drunami. the King of Benin. who has been
on trial at Benin City since August last
with a number of leading chiefs, charged
with being concerned with the massacre of
the unarmed expedition under British Con-
sui Phillips, has been condemned to be
transported to Calabar, a slave settlement
of British West Africa. Three of the King
of Benins chiefs were previously SEN
fenced. Two OF them were shot and their
bodies displayed hanging in the streets for
twenty-four hours. The third of these chiefs
escaped a similar fate by committing sui
eide.
Benin City, over which the convicted King
long ruled, was known as the City of
Blood" on account of it's being the seat of
the fetish priests of that part of Africa and
because human sacrifices were of frequent
occurrence, the remains of sacrificed slaves
being seen bleaching in the sun on all sides.
The massacre of the British expedition was
a cold-blooded affair. The party, consisting
of Messrs. Phillips, Copeand-CrawfOrd,
HIisf4sIP9 owis M oron an9 56 native csr
rierS left Sapele British West Africa, on
Jan: 2, wholly unarmed and bearing all
kinds of presents for the King of Benin.
1t was divided into two parties. The first
party was about four hours march ahead,
when 1T was surprised by a host of am
not man escaping. The second party, sus-
pecting nothing, suddenly came on the piled
corpses Of the vanguard, and while they
were examining the scene of carnage they
were attacked and shot down from the
bush. Acting Consul General Phillips, DR..
Elliott and Mr.. Fowls fell dead on the spot.
Major Copeland-CraWfOTd was wounded.
Captain Boisragon and Mr.. Locke carried
him off, but he was wounded again. so
that he died in few minutes, after i'm
ploring his companions TO seek their own
safety and leave him to his fate. Mr.. II.
G. Campbell, of the consular staff. was
captured and taken to Benin City, but the
King had him taken to an adjacent VIII
lage. where he was killed. No authentic
news has been received to the fate of
Mr.. Gordon, one of the civilians with the
Locke, who escaped, had revolver in his
possession, and shot several natives who
attacked Captain Boisragon. and was him
self shot in the arm while beating back
party of natives with a stick. Mr.. POwiss
native servant escaped the massacre by
taking to the bush. He says he saw the
headlesS body of Mr.. Fowls. All of the
Europeans who were killed were afterwards
beheaded. and King Brunami sent the fin
eral Phillips back as act of defiance.
out OF the 250 carriers with the eXpedi-
ton only one escaped. and brought the
news to the coast. A relief party sent up
the river in a canoe found BoisragOn and
Locke, who had been hiding in the bush
Tor five days living on plantans and drink
ing dew. The British government hastily
organized formidable punitive expedition
and captured the CITY of Blood and most
in the punishment of the treacherous At
ricanS.