Omaha daily bee., 1905-09-11
PROBING CONGO ATROCITIES
October WIN see n Revival OF AEita-
tiOn Against the Present
system.

LONDON, Sept. 10 Especial cableeron to
The Bee.)-This autumn is expected to see
great developments in the agitation against
the atrocities in the Congo Free state.
Meetings are being arranged all over the
country, to commence in October In all
probability the lord mayor will preside
over a great gathering in the Mansion
House.
Rev. J. II. Harris Of the Congo Balolo
mission at Baringa, who has just returned
TO this country, has brought with him a
vast amount OF material In support Of the
charges against administration Mr. Harris
states that several Of the offlcials known
to be implicated in the report Of the COM
mission Of inquiry, are boiling from the
Congo-with the suspected connivance OF
the government OF Belgium-and in an in
terview he told the tragic but typical story
OF one affair which occupied the commits
sion for some time, viz, the expedition
conducted by NJ. Hanotte, the agent of the
Abr company, against Sambekota, and the
arming of the Abr sentries With Albini
rifles. Writing to the secretary of the
commission, Mr.. Harris gives, with cor
roborative remarks OF his own, the story
OF native eye Witness
Il went with M Hanotte when he made
the raid on Ekota. l accompanied him as
a peddler and then as a carrier inland
We anchored at the samba beach and
slept the first night at Samba itself Next
morning we started. We were armed with
guns, and the Samba people accompanying
us bore spears, shields bows and arrows,
IN order to assist Toward evening we
settled down in the forest for the night
Next day We surprised the Ekota people
I'VE met two boys at the entrance TO
the town Thesa vvera lfilad NJ IIan
| notte gave orders to kill only grown men
in the future. The fighters went in every
direction and killed great many. At one
place we saw a foot lying on the ground
and NJ Hannotte said, Throw IL away
Further on we saw a murdered woman.
M. Hannotte ordered her corpse to be
thrown into the bush. l saw at least FIVE
corpses, but many people were killed that
did not notice.
m. Hannotte himself saw many of the
| corpses. The dead bodies were cut up
and eaten by the Samba people and others
| with NJ. Hannotte's knowledge.
The chief, Naumbo Ngengi came and
made peace, agreeing in the future to bring
| us rubber.
AT the time OF the visit of the commits
sion OF inquiry Nj. Hannotte was" said
Mr. Harris, returning from Europe to
the Congo. The commission Of inquiry
| met him further down the river and inter
| rogated him with reference to the malad-
ministration for which he was RESPONSE
BILE.
He replied TO the commission the sec
| rotary of which sent me his COPY of de-
positions, saying:
! " I took part in no expedition against
! Sambekota and no Albinis were taken. In
the month OF october I made a peaceful
expedition to this village and others Of
! the region. l had an escort OF five men
| armed with Albini rifles and many car
! riers.
ION May s DR.. voght, the investigating
magistrate, visited my station to make in
| quiries into the many atrocities that had
| been committed in that district but he
| said before he entered that he wished to
ask me few questions with regard to the
| administration of certain individuals, but
| he said l must first pledge myself neither
to publish nor to speak in public upon the
matters to which he was about to refer.
| Il told him that l could upon no ac-
count give him such a pledge because
knew far more atrocities than had ever
been brought to light, and 1t was quite
! likely that l knew already what he had
in his papers. However, 1 did promise
that l would not publish nor speak in
N''NSN
| know nto me.
Then, he said, did I know anything
| about M. Hannottes expedition against
certain villages, at which he killed a large
number OF people, and at which he forced
his fighters with pistol at their heads
to eat the corpses OF the people killed
II told him that had already called the
attention of the commission of inquiry to
this affair. The only point OF which was
in ignorance was that he held his pistol to
the heads OF his fighters to force them to
eat the corpses, DR.. Voght told me that
this information had been obtained from
the mouth of M. Hannotte himself while
retailing this affair to some friends in
Brussels or Antwerp during his furlough
How comes II that coincident with this
M. Hannotte, who has been only a few
months back from Europe, gets a warning
to fee the country and does so with the
sanction of the Congolese government Can
1t be accounted for in this way?
IN. Hannotte told me personally that he
had the permission OF the Congo govern
| ment to go and attack these naonIa I,a