The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-05-06
CRUELTIES ON THE CONGO.
BARBA RITES THE WHITES INFIICr
UPON HELPLESS NATIVES.
The story Of killing and Mutilating the
Blacks l. True-Agents Of the Trading
Companies Are the Guilty Men The Crim,s
VIII BE Investigated and Justice Done.

W" -" "'
The stories that missionaries told at The fcu-
menical Convention Of the atrocities Inflicted
upon natives OF the Bangala River basin
are perfectly true. The facts have only I-
Gently become known in Europe The Congo
Free State Government at Brussels has not yet
had any official confirmation Of these OUT
RACES, but admits that the circumstanlial re-
ports now at hand unfortunately leave 10
room for doubt that the crimes have occurred.
II is only a few weeks since the Governments
received a report from an agent who had been
instructed to visit this large district lie
said be found the natives conten,ed, living
in comfort and DESTROYS of keeping the friends
ship Of the state authorities. The crimes
against them have been committed since
that time,
The first detoilcd news Of the atrocities cams
from a man named ~lacroiS, an employee 4
one Of the trading companies, who sent tie
particulars to the Nieuu, Gdsot Of Antwerp.
He told the horrible story in a most cold
blooded manner, Apparently he did not reals
ize that wholesale murder and chopping Of Il
hands was anything more than a trivial mat
ter incidental TO the occupancy Of n barharous
country. lie told Of carrying ont his ordors
to massacre and main the people ms he might
Ifht NV NV tS'
collecting rubber in the forests,
One day IN November last, wrote ~I.acroiy.
he was ordered to take a party Of armed blacks.
who were under his command, and Kill all tho
Inhabitants Of a certain village. He s,ols
upon the peaceful settlement and faithfully
carried ont his work of death. Among tho
victims were twenty-five women and two in
fants who were shot dead. Two women who
escaped TO the river leaped into a canoe and
pushed away from the bank, but they were
pursued by the white mans brave subordl-
mates and when oyertaken were thrown into
the ri, er to become a prey to crocodilos. THIS
massacre had been ordered because the canoes
laden with rubber which the trading company
had ordered the village to supply had not AZ
rived on the day set for the delivery of the
commodity.
Another story sent by Lacroi1 told Of tho
killing Of one Of the black, soldiers in the SER
vice of the company and the Imprisonment
in chains of his wife because their son had III
formed the natives in a certain village. whose
destruction had been ordered on account y
the non-delivery OF the prescribed amount n
rubber, that a party was to be sent TO murder
them. The result was that when the hired as
s~assins Of the company rearhed the town they
had also failed 10 deliver MI the rubber de-
manded, sixty women were chained up and
almost all of them died Of starvation, for nons
when tho few survivors were released
Lacroix's story recorded the murder Of 10
men. women, and children, the, cutting ohof
of hundreds Of hutsa, and he expressed the oliu-
ion that this deviltry would have the eNc,t
to maintain the peace on the upper Congo and
to add largely to the collections OF rubber.
All Belgium wa. Mortified by This cool and
frank avowal of the most despicable work 4
assassination yet recorded n Africn,
tcryicw with Mr.. Iiebrechts, The Secretary
Of the Department Of the Interior Of the Congo
Free state, in which he says. tho gren' DIR;
Guilty is the immensely Of the. country and
the lmpossibility as vet 10 extend the authority
Of the State completely over It's vast domain.
The laws Of the State theoretically protect
ton, but also from assault upon their liberty,
lives or property, Unfortunately, II has been
impossible TO extend the fnll authority ,oi''e
law over the country as rapidly as the adyar .
Of rubber gathering and trade has progre,.ci-
In the face Of the accusation" says Mr..
Liebrechts, that have now been hroueie
have determined TO redouble tie >"E"1'v
with which the law is enforced We have
not thus far been remiss in our duty Every
time IL has been proved that a whit" man ios
committed a crime against n na'lN" Ia" las
been punished The Government la dnrs
more than his, n the region, yh"rr NJ"
d!ers commanded by white on1c'rs have
been established and their specal duty ha,
of the whites. II seems, however, that though
the Government has acted with "i"fE' n
its cndeayor 10 protect all the native. IT,. m =
tary establishments have not been able -
keep the. entire rubber collecting region under
perpetual guard. These %atrocions OCCURRENCE
IN the Bangala basin have, nsioni.hed Pc ~
the more because n tax collector was recently
sent by rs through that region and be reported
an excellent condition of affair, the main.
%tenance Of perfect order and a wei, dist"'cd
and. contented population. We had 'Jst -
cluded the information he sent " N m oNi-
cial report when this terrible news came
The civilized world need not fear that N,
authors Of these crimes will fail 20 r"crlfa
their deserts. They will be taken before 10
court AZ Bona. II the facts, as related, Ha
established against them, YOU may h" 'lf'
that their fate il sealed. To prove n" "a'r-
estness Of the Government IN tils MH'lrF,
| need only mention a recent occasion WON
an agent 81 one Of these trading COMPARES
was proven guilty Of terrible misusag" g. =
native and was condemned To- ten ycrl- i".
prisonmpnt by the tribunal in the disif
where the crime was committed He ~aIr"n,'i
10 the court ut Roma, succeeded In haNlle
his case ~reopened there and tie result ~ 10
second trial was that he WINS eondcw,"d 10
life Imprisonment. The law will be cn'ut''i
In all its rigor, the guilty will be punished a'1
he will be a very reckless person who ui,!'r
falna 10 f,lIn.r tkn NM - I .fF4rN '