The Washington weekly post., 1899-07-25
KILLED BY the CAhNIBAlS.
British Officers Sad Fate Among the
Congo savages.


From the Philadelphia Lquirer
Details have been received Of the killing
and eating on the Congo OF Capt. Maurice
Bell, a British militia officer who last
year left England for the Congo in the
service of the Free State The particu-
lars. which are supplied by Lieut.. F. ].
Andrew, a Scetchman in the Belgian serv-
ice, who was with Capt Bell. and has
lately returned to England from the Up
per Congo. invalided. IRE as follows:
"On January Is last Capt. Bell, having
been ordered down the river from his post
al Yambuya "a station on the Aruwimi,
some 1,50e miles in the interior. TO Ra-
soko (at' the confluence of the Congo and
AruwimD left the latter place on an ex-
DeditiOn against certain Aruwimi tribes
living four days journey from the river
The expedition was commanded by Com
mandant Van Vert, who was accompa-
MED by Lieut.. Giertsen "a scandinavian.
Capt. Bell, and 10 black troops It's OBJ
ject was TO prevent the tribes descending
upon peaceful villages on the main Con-
90 River. The force left Basoko in ca
noes on the morning OF January IS. and
reached the Congo post OF Bopamba the
same night There they left the river.
and, after passing the night at the sta
ton, struck into the bush. After Two
days march Commandant Van Vert halt
ed, and divided the expedition into three
sections, each OF which consisted Of hfty
soldiers. commanded by one Of the white
men. Lieut. Giertsen, with his column.
was sent in an easterIy direction, and
Capt, Bell was dispatched. 10 tho south.
with orders to scour the country and then
return TO the commandant Whs had pitch
ed his camp ana remained where he VAS
with his soldiers and porteTs. OF Lieut..
Giertsen's mSyements ] know nothing. as
! was inyalided home before he returned
10 BssOkO. or Capt. Bells expedition |
have fuli information. from the comman-
danrs runners. from fugitive soldiers. and
from Bells own boy. all of whom told the
same story which was subsequently con
firmed by the Belgian punitive expedition
afterward sent 10 aFenge the British Of
fcer'g death.
When sent on the expedition. Capt.
Rell was N bad health and very weak
from repeated attacks Of fever. Although
from my sick bed ] did my best 10 dis
suade him from going. ne pointed ont
that II he remained the BelriaBs w0cld
only place one constructor upon his ac-
ton. lie accordingly started After leav-
ing tho commaHdaHt, capt. Bell and his
small force oEhEty black troops proceeded
in the direction Of villas called Mon
dlmbe While marching in Indian hle
through z dense forest. they were sur
rounded by 200 sDeaTmeR The soldiers.
who were mere boys ana, Ike al their
comrades. arTsnt towards. 10 sooner saw
the natives approaching than they threw
down their rifles and cartridge belts. and
cleared into the bush, leaving Capt. Bel.
his native Sergeant. and Ons boy 70 resist
the attack AIDED by his boy. Capt. Bell
loadeI and Grod his rife again and again.
and when az cloge quarters he used h.E re-
vOlyer with such effect that he accounted
for fully ten natives before the end came.
The cannt5als however in the end nat
uraUy OvercamC Capt Bel and his two
companions First the three were spear
ed. then cut gp. ard afterward eaten In
accordance with their usual custom. when
a white man IS killed. pieaes % the body
were dispatched 20 all the surrounding
villages 10 infzms the natives When
the news % che tragedy reached the main
river a punitive expedition was sent from
Ba=okO. ana also a force from COmnoan-
dant Van Vert. Portions OF the bodies
were then found in a village twenty miles
distant from The scene Of t,c HrukEle
IN the punitive expedition a hundred ns-
tixes were killed and n number tGkcn
prisoners"