The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1899-02-16
NO. 81.
CUTS THEIR HEADS OFF.
That Is the Way the Sultan OF Moroe-
co Treats Tax Dodgers and DE.
linqusnts.

The sultan of Morocco is going TO
prevent his subjects from evaaing the
payment of their taxes, even if in do
ing it he has to behead every tax dodger
in the country.
In his majesty's domain tax-dodging
by the rich is well-nigh universal, and
well-informed students and travellers,
knowing how corrupt and rapacious
the sultan's government is, 60 not
doubt that much of ii is justifiable. Rut
the sultan looks at the matter in diff
ferent light. He declares that there IS
no excuse for tax-dodging, that it is
criminal, and, moreover, that be has
hit upon punishment to fit the crime.
Frank +. Jackson. a globs trotter
of 30 years experience, has recently
made tour of North Africa. inclnd-
ing the accessible parts of Morocco, and
in personal letter to Frank Il. Ding
ley. of Lewiston, Me-, brother OF the
well-known congressman of that nan..,
he gives a graphic account of the sui
tan's bloody and desperate method Of
procedure.
When in Tangier Mr.. Jackson
learned that the sultan, at the head Of
a large body Of troops. was marching
through the country collecting taxes,
and that at Laroiche he baG decapi-
tated large number of tax-dodgers
and spiked their heads above the city
gates to serve as warning TO others
who might not be disposed TO pay their
dues promptly.
"A company of five was formed,
writes Mr.. Jackson, to visit Laroiche
and see if this CHASTITY report was true.
The party consisted of an Englishman.
who spoke Arabic, German and three
Americans.
1--WE boarded small steamboat at
Tangier and sailed down the coast to
Cosa Blanco. There we engaged Uulcs,
donned Arab costumes "a very prudenv
thing to do), and early in the morning
started to Laroiche. about Is miles in-
| land. 1t was beautiful country
through which We passed, fertile and
we'll cultivated, the monotony of the
desert relieved by the fig and i've trees
| and the stately and ever-present palm.
But it is a country centuries behind
modern civilization. Women are still
sold into virtual slavery, and not in
frequently to take the places Of beasts
OF burden. More than once along
the way we saw farmer working his
land, his wife and mule yoked tor
gether drawing the plow.
| 1--WE reached Laroiche abous noon. X
is impossible to describe the sickeninR
sight which met our gaze as we rode
up to the main entrance to the clty.s
There above us, in CHASTITY row. were
Is human heads shriveling in the broil-
| ing sun. We rode around to The other
gates, only to find the same grewsome
display. In all we counted IS heads
spiked to the broad arches ever the
city gates. Our curiosity was fully sat-
isfed. and all of us regretted that We
had travelled SO far to learn that there.
| was at the close of the nineteenth cen-s
tury SO barbarous country on the face
of the earth as Morocco.
| "And not all of the heads were those
Of tax dodgers; some were Of old men
and women who had never possessed
anything worth taxing. 1t seems the
sultan had vented his spite on them
after learning that number OF wealthy
residents of the city had been warned
Of his coming and had fled to The noun
tains, taking their cash and other port-
able valuables with them.
These murderous raids are made
once year by the sultan, and II IS said
that he has nearly depopulssed sorne
of the districts through which he
passes. Upon trustworthy authority
we learned that what we saw ct La-
roiche may be seen in the wake Of he
sultan at every city along his route.
II more bloody caputs are gathered il
one place than can be conveniently
disposed of there these are carried on
10 decorate the gateways Of the next
oity."-Boston Herald.