Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-01-12
JUSTICE In ETHIOPIA.
The SORCSRY BY WHICH AN ASSAo-
SIN WAS TRACKED.
His Trial Before King Meneleks
Criminal Court The Abyssinian

Me'"ou Oh frOccdurc-The
and the Execution.
In order to get clews in difficult cases
the Abyssinians resort to extraordinary
methods. In detecting criminals they en-
ploy young boy, whom they put INTO Il
They call him the liebacha
The llebacha is made to sleep at inc
scene OF the crime. Early in the morning
the seance begins. During the night nc
is supposed to have become thoroughly I'M
pregnated with the fluids which the GRIM
inal left in the astral atmosphere. Conse-
qucntly he has cle;v which he follows as
one might follow footsteps upon the sand.
But before he starts out he must drink,
fasting, the "Inagic draft" This bevcr-
age. like those employed by the sorcerers
of the middle ages, is composed OF vegeta-
BILE and animal ingredients 1t is said that
at daybreak they add three drops of the
blood of IA male child.
When the liebacha has taken this
strange morning cocktail, he becomes ex-
ira lucid. he sets out on h Quincy, fol
lowed by an anxio,., crow .ttching all
his movements. Some time ago your cor
respondent had the privilege of seeing a
llebacha started on the scent of an assassin
who had murdered the Abyssinian carrier
of the French mails. The young somnam-
bullst at llrst ran to the camp or the mer-
chants. There he entered n hut and rest
ed. The crowd understood that the Grim
inal had stopped there, and, rs matter OF
fact the woman of the house, on being in
terrogated, replied that a man the day be
fore took shelter there, but left at sunrise,
forgetting his gun. The gun was exam
ined and recognized as the one that be
longcd to the carrier. Evidently the scent
was good
Inc llehacha rose, ran along rapidly
and soon entered another house, where
they found that the assassin had asked for
a drink and had just left. The liebacha set
out in pursuit, but the horscmen, anxious
to seize the assassin and get the prize offer
ed by Menelek, dashed at a gallop along
the road and soon brought back the fugi-
tive
A few days afterward the members Of
the French colony Of Adds Abeba were in
vited by Mcnelek to be present at the trial
1t was n spectacle never To be forgotten. II
is in the open air that Menelek holds his
criminal court, under the perpetualiy blue
sky of Abyssinia On the steps of an i'm
mense banquet hall the emperor was squat
ted, oriental fashion. At his left was the
French colony, at his right, seated on steps
covered with carpets, was the affa-negus or
mouth of the king" as he is called, he
chief justice of the empire. Below him
were the judges with their white turbans,
,,,I oil e.. ,tat,-n
each side of the tribunal were the specta
tors. The criminal was brought forward
According to the Abyssinian custom he
was chained to two freemen. This is a
precaution against any chance of escape or
suicide. 1t is also hoped that his two
guards by chatting with him may induce
him to confess his crime
The prisoner was little. lame man.
He advanced into the vacant spot in front
of the negus He knew the fate that
awaited him, but he appeared to be per
fectly calm and looked placidly into the
face of him who was about to judge him
Heaven save you'll" cried an Abyssn-
ian.
Keep your prayer for yourself, replied
the prisoner. Il don't want it. I"
You have committed murder" sa:d
the emperor, ''Why did you do it,"
ITO rob, was the reply.
did your crime have any other motive
in view"
mo; am beggar The courier had
thalers and wanted them"
We'll, you shall be punished said the
emperor. Have you anything to ask?'
Your clemoncy would give you immor-
tai renown," pleaded the murderer. If
you pardon me you will be like the good
God "
Then the emperor turned toward the
crowd and consulted the notabilities. An
old man advanced and declared that dur
ing his long life he never heard of such a
dreadful crime and that the criminal de
served to be hanged.
Another said that he should be burned
A third spoke loud and for a long time,
making furious gesticulatiOnS aud con
Guiding that # the assassin had ten lives
he should be executed ten times. All We're
unanimous in pronouncing the crime
abominable. Each one endeavorcd to be
as eloquent as possible, so as to attract the
attention of the ncgus. They were not
lawyers, and, by the way, it is not safe to
call a man I. lawyer in Abyssinia, because
lawyer" i'll that country means "vcnder
Of words. They were ordinary subjects
who had come to the trial, the jury in all
its purity. They were graceful in their
movements of sincerity and indignation;
but, like all orientals, they We're too en-
phatic and cxtravagant.
The affa-negus came down from the
steps, and turning toward the emperor dc
livcrcd his address in loud voice lone
might CO." said he, "to Djibouti, to Mas
saua and even to the White Nile without
encountcring any trouble. Even woman
can travel from the land of the Katfa to
Gondar without being molestcd, and yet
this little, sicSly and lame man. Cat these
words the assassin rose up and looked at
the judge with an air of defiance) killed
this courier while he was calmly sleeping
The crime was great; the punishment
must be terrible. Let it be applied
Another judge brought the book of the
law, the "Fetha- Ncgcst," from which he
read as follows: HE who commits a muir
der and who by his crime brings scandal
upon the city shall be burned alive"
But the king of kings of Ethiopia would
not permit the sentence to be carried out
according TO the ancient law.
Let him be hangedi' said he.