Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1899-01-20
KIDNAPPING OF WOMEN

lava of gaudy calico, made In Germany"
hesitated but Tor a moment. All savage
tribes people are accustomed to the idea
of rude woong. ard she was already rec
onciled to her captor,
With a cry of despair she threw herself
at the feet of Lieut.. Couillard and raised
her hands to him in mute appeal.
Two tars levelled loaded guns at the
lieutenant's head, while Capt. Leah led
the girl gently to the cutters rail, where
lay one of the Mldura's boats. 1t was
unnecessary. The lieutenant made no
move, but watched the stirring scene with
a cynical Partisan smile A suit of old
clothes was thrown over the princess and
sne was lowered into the boat Her COM
panions. beautiful young girls, some as
young as thirteen and none over twenty,
were as loath to go as She but they obedi-
entity followed, leaving their sailor lovers.
They were absolutely without clothes of
any kind and were from eighteen to twen-
ty years old. The French sailors had
chosen the prettiest of the native prin-
cess's followers for themselves.
Before he left the cutter Capt. Leah
held an informal investigation. Lieut..
Couillard made no secret of what he had
done. He said it was u common practice
to steal the native girls, and IL he suf-
fered for such proceeding some of his
countrymen high in the French South Sea
navy might not escape. He declared that
the traffic In native girls was not confined
to French vessels, and cited cases where
British merchantmen had stolen whole
boat loads of girls.
The captures. he said, were generally
effected while the girls were bathing in
the sea and unprotected. They were sur
prised. bound and carried on board ship
before the tribe knew anything about it.
When the sailors got tired Of them they
generally, he said. put them on the first
convenient island they came to.
Hundreds of native girls, he declared.
had been treated in this manner during
the past year.
Capt. Leah was received with a royal
welcome when he returned to Aoba and
bonf1res were lighted in honor of the man
who two days before had been Smelling
the village and killing its dusky defenders.
Then, while the young girls restored to
the tribe were alone unresponsive to the
general rejoicing Capt Leah followed
the Eure to Segon.
when we reached Segon," said Capt.
Leah. I'VE found the place turned topsy-
turvy by the recent outrages of the con-
victs Near this place one hundred
French eX-convicts have settled. They
are a desperate class of men. but up to
this time had remained quietly on their
settlement. The arrival of an English
liquor ship. from which they procured
several cases of brandy, started them on
their wild carnival of crime
"Maddned with drink, they proceeded in
a body to the native village near Segon.
massacred many of the natives and took
as captives the fairest n:aidens. With tho
exception of twenty they returned the
girls to their settlement. These twenty
decided to visit some brother convcts on
the small island Of Malo. They took with
them large supply of liquor and several
of the captive girls.
During a night spent in carnival q
fight ensued over the girls, and in the
morning 1t was found that six Of the Malo
| island convicts and two of the girls had
been literally cut to pieces.
THE drink maddened criminals re-
turned next day to their settlement. These
things were told upon our arrival at Sc.
gon. The inhabitants of the station. in
Guiding q number Of educated French
traders and their families, were in a state
of pitiable terror lest the convicts should
pay them a visit.
After n brief conference with the gov
ernOr of Segon 1 determined to storm the
stronghold of the convicts. Learning of
our proposed raid they fled to the hills.
We pursued, and after fierce fight. dur
ing which two of my men were seriously
wounded, captured six of them and took
them back to Segon. I never learned
the fate Of these men, but have no doubt
they were executed.
1.-THE warship Eure was expected at Sc
gon when we left next day. and the gov
ernor intended to demand the capital
punishment of the numerous convicts.
They were the most desperate men ever
came across. They were half-savage in
appearance and fought like demons when
we corneded them in the hills. Their
victims in the native village of Ago num-
bercd, / was told at least fifty"
The Mildura is now in dry dock in Van
ccuver undergoing repairs to her plates.
which were sprung during the exciting
chase after the French cutter Port De-
pointes. Her officers and crew talk free
ly of the thrilling incident 1t is due to
them alone that l am enabled to give this
story of what is perhaps the most event.
full cruise of modern days.