Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-06-20

weeks, perhaps, where he has gone; but
he always comes back with something IN
teresting to report. He has found new
rubber forest or new diamond neio.
climbed hitherto UNEMPLOYED mountain or
enjoyed another brush with the Brazilians-
Any other official who left his work In
that casual manner would nnd MS services
dispensed with but everybody recognises
that it Is absurd to try to tie Maciurk
down to an office chair.
Haroun- -Raschid Among the Indians.
He does not wait for the Indians under
his rule to bring their Quarrels to him to
judge in the manner prescribed by law
He goes into the forest or the native VII
lage. sees things for himself and decides
them on the spot His is rough-and-ready
justice, like that of an eastern cadi.
Sometimes he travels among the Indians
disguised as one of themselves or as a
Venezuelan peon. AS he speaks their IAN
guage perfectly and is a good actor ne IS
never detected. And when, later on, some
of the Indians come before him in his ca
pacity Of magistrate he surprises them py
showing an intimate knowledge OF their
affairs and detecting their cleverly con-
structed perjuries.
why did you acquit that man?' Mac
Turk was once asked at the conclusion OF a
trial for stealing gun. dozen VIII
nesses swore that they saw him take the
gun. Your judgment was In direct contra
diction to the evidence"
so it was" said MacTurk "but then.
you see, I was sitting around camp nre
with those dozen witnesses when they con-
cocted that evidence and rehearsed one
another in 1t until they were all word per-
feet. They did not know me again, but
knew them
MacTurk's Last Exploit.
MacTurk's last big exploit in the annexa-
ton business happened about two years
ago. The authorities at Rio de Janeiro
were alarmed by report from the from
tier of IAN armed invasion from British
Guiana" On inquiry 1t appeared that the
invading force consisted of Mr.. MacTurk
with a shotgun and a servant. He claimed
a large stretch of Brazilian territory,
adorned it with British flags and sat down
quietly to await developments.
The Brazilian government dispatched sol
diers to arrest him and the governor OF
British Guiana sent peremptory COM
mand to him to recroSs the border. Mac
Turk did not hurry to obey the command.
He waited two or three weeks for the sol
diers, intending TO submit his claims FORM
ally to their commandante for transmits
sion to Rio. and hoping to enjoy little
physical argument on the subject.
But those soldiers knew MacTurk. They
took care to make the slowest journey on
record, and when they reached the dlstrlct
he had grown tired of waiting for them
and had gone back to British Guiana. he
sent an Indian runner to tell them where
he was, and invite them to come and take
him, but the commandant replied with
dignity that he could not dream of vfo-
lating the British border.
MacTurk's physical strength Is as re-
markable as his political strenuousness.
He was travelling on a mail steamer once
from England to Barbados and the usual
athletic sports were got up by the officers.
whats the good Of Notwithstanding
competitions and egg-and-spOon races"
asked MacTurk. "They suit the women,
but we men ought to have something more
vigorous-weight- lifting and that sort of
thing"
AS the speaker was a very small and
very thin man, looking as weak as kit
ten. people naturally laughed. But when
they organized the strenuous contests he
desired they soon found out their mistake.
MacTurk won everything. The brawniest
sailor aboard could not vie with him In
weight lifting; nobody could stand the grip
of his sinewy right hand; and in boxing
and fencing he was unrivaled.