The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1899-01-07
KIDNAPPING OF WOMEN

!aVa OF gaudy calico, made in Germany
hesitated but for q moment. All savae,
tribes people are accustomed to the ;dee
OF rude wooing, and she was already rec
onciled to her captor.
win 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
neutenant's head. while Capt. Leah led
the girl gently to the cutters rail. where
Jay one OF the Mildura's boats. It was
| unnecessary. The lieutenant made M
move, but watched the stirring scene with
a cynical Partisan SMILE. A suit of old
clothes was thrown, over the princess and
she 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 thew oheii;'
llently followed, leaving their sailor lovers
TThey were: absolutely without clothes of
amy kind and were from eighteen to TWEEN
~ years old. The French sailors had
CHOSEN the prettiest OF the native prtn.
cess's followers for themselves
Before he left the cutter Capt Leah
held an informal investigation. Lieut.
Comllard made no secret Of what he had
uohe. he SAID 1t was common practice
to steal the native girls, and If he suf
Tered for such a 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
20 FRENCH vessels, and cited cases where
BRITISH merchantmen had stolen whole
boat loads of girls.
Inc captures he said, were generally
eHected while the girls were bathing in
lie sea ana unprotected. They were sur
Drised bound and carried on board shin
oe1ore the tribe knew anything about it
when the sailors got tired of them thew
generally, ne said, put them on the first
convenient island they came to.
Hundreds of native girls, he declared
mad been treated in this manner during
the past year.
Capt. Leah was received with a roval
welcome when he returned to Aoba. and
oonhres were lighted in honor of the man
who two days before had been shelline
the village and killing it's dusky defenders
Ihen, while the young girls restored to
the tribe were alone unresponsive to the
genera rejoicing. Capt. Leah followed
the Eure to Segon.
When we reached segon," said Can't.
Lean, we found the place turned topsy.
turVy by the recent outrages of the con-
vets. Near this place one hundred
French ex-convicts have settled. They
are desperate class of men, but up to
this time had remained quietly on their
settlement. The arrival of an English
nquor ship, from which they procured
several cases of brandy started them on
their wild carnival of crime.
M addned with drink, they proceeded in
a BODY to the native village near Segon
massacred many of the natives and took
as captives the fairest maidens. With tho
exception OF twenty they returned the
girls to their settlement These twenty
decided to visit some brother conyicts on
Inc small island ST Malo. They took with
: them y large supply 81 liquor and ! seyyeral
or the captive girls. 80 =
a oh
tight ensued over the girls, and in the
morning it was found that six of the Malo
isiano conVlcts and two Of the girls had
been literally cut to pieces
Inc dr1nk-maddened criminals re-
turned next day to their settlement These
things were told upon our arrival at Se-
eon. The inhabitants of the station. in
ciudlng number of educated French
traoers and their families, were in a state
OF p1t1able terror lest the convicts shoul1
pay them a visit.
After a brief conference with the gov
erhor OF segon determined to storm the
stronghold of the convicts. Learning of
our proposed raid, they fed 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 rate OF these men, but have no doubt
they were executed.
1.-THE warship Eure was exnected at Ga
son when we left next day, and the gov
ernor intended to demand the capital
punishment Of the murderous 'convicts.
They were the most desperate men ever
came across. They were half-savaee in
appearance and fought like demons when
we corneded them in the hills. Their
victims IN the native village Of Ago num-
bered, I was told, at least fifty"
The Mildura is now in dry dock in Van
ccuver undergoing repairs to her plates.
which We're sprung during the exciting
chase after the French cutter Port De-
pointes. Her officers and crew talk free
~ OF the thrilling incident. It is due to
them alone that I am enabled to give this
story OF what is perhaps the most event
full cruise of modern days.