Evening star., 1905-10-14

That is. they let themselves become prey to
a profound encouragement, lie down and
refuse food-and die in three or four days!
How many thousands Of natives have thus
died from discouragement' In the past
hve years Is part and parcel of the present
French Congo scandal that De Brazza was
sent to investigate. The latest case is that
of young Administrator Hubert of Kona-
kry, reported by M. FreZouls, lieutenant
governor of French Guinea. Hubert simply
treated the natives as slaves. One day, at
Kohin, he called up the chief Of the village
and said
II want the prettiest girl of the country
Hunt her for me-"
Soon the chief returned, confessng he
had found the beauty, but that she was an
unmarried girl and her father objected.
"Abduct her" exclaimed Hubert. 1t was
done small revolt had been stirred up
by one Foukoumba "I'll strike him in his
family said Hubert, and he ordered the
execution of all Foukoumba's children!
There is a mystery here that threatens to
broaden into the great Congo scandal that
hovers over the national funeral they are
preparing for De BraZza. 1t Is said that
De Brazza learned from Hubert and others
that Hubert was really backed up by his
superiors. What is certain is that he had
shot down, without Judgment, Modi Aliou,
Tierno Malio, TiernoMoussa, Modu-Rodou
and Alpha Bouary. One son of Foukoumba
remained, a boy of fifteen, living with a
marabout, a long distance from the scene
of the revolt. With candor and simplicity
the boy went to Hubert. saying: 81 was
pursuing my studies. l knew nothing about
the matter" Hubert had him shot the
same day.
Revolving Cruelties.
Probably You have heard the terrible
story Of Toque and Gaud On July A. the
French national feast a number of Euro
peans had united for a convivial celebration
in villa outside Brazaville. They were al
most all functionaries, there being among
them but one officer of French colonial
troops.
Toward the end every one was drunk.
Extraordinary things-best not mentioned
had already been done; and then some one
proposed a new kind of amusement. 1t
was to consist IN trying dynamite on a
negroi
There We're plenty of subjects. crowd
OF darkeys had gathered outside the villa
laughing and joking hoping to have some
crumbs from the convivial board.
They invited a young fellow in They
grabbed and threw him on the ground, and
tied him down to stakes Some one
brought big dynamite cartridge, and
when 1t exploded the negro was blown to
pieces.
few days later these. same function
aries had another convivia1 reunion What
is that crowd waiting around for?" in
qulred one Gaud-now of evil celebrity.
from our table replied Toque. ITEMS
he continued, IN prepare them some soup
m going to cut off a negros head and boil
1t. like when we make sheep's-head soup
Ihen, when the darkeys have eaten it, we'll
show them what it was made fromv'
They did 1t. The murdered negro's
father and mother ate of the Soup Toaue
wrote letters describing these amusements
to friends in Paris, and one of these was in
tercepted just as an inquiry was being
opened at Brazaville. Meanwhile both
Toque and Gaud had returned to Paris on
leave-Toque to be married to a nice young
lady living in the villa suburb of Neuily
We, who also inhabit Neully, see her every
Sunday morning at church. Toque came
once with heretofore he was arrested
and he seemed an agreeable-looking young
man, say, of thirty-two years.
Are Serving Short Sentences.
Toque and Gaud are now in Jail, begin
ming their curiously short sentence of five
years each. and If the shortness of the
term be strange, 1t is no more strange than
the alleged state of colonial opinion on
these matters. Several functionaries re-
Gently landed in Paris have been talking
with great freedom.
No one at Brazavile attached much i'm
portance to the Sleeps head soup Incl
dent" said one. I'VE can't Judge these
things by European standards. Do you i'm
agine that the commissary general of the
Congo would have waited long before
opening an inquiry If he did not share the
sentiments l have expressed to your
Then why was the inquiry opened so
late?' he was asked.
He explained: m. Gentil, the commissary
general of the Congo, is much a negro
hater as his predecessor NJ. Grodet, was a
negro lover. Since the advent of Gentil
and particularly since the establishment of
the poll tax of francs per inhabitant the
Congo has been in effervescence. The ne
groes refuse to pay the poll tax. and Gentil
is determined to have it, The administra-
tors know this, and since a certain circular
was issued they know they may do what
they will, SO long as their tax returns are
good.
Only this manner of proceeding raised
more powerful protests than had been cal
culated, the young administrator contin-
ued. m. Gentil. learning that he was being
discussed in Paris, hastened to save him
self Therefore he brought out these cru
city cases. !"
Believe in Violent Treatment.
Then the young. modern-style adminis-
traitor uttered a general principle:
ITO pretend that one can live in the midst
of savage tribes without exercising violence
Is pure foolshness," he said. Zone ought not
to use dynamite as 'civiizer,' of course
Personally I get on we'll with the chi
cotte'-the whip of hippopotamus hide, four
and half feet long"
:" hat diu De BrazZa thlnk or this kind of
administration" of his beloved Congo? 1t
Is said he was returning to Paris with a
terrible report. 1t is alleged that M Gentil
went to De Brazza TO learn its nature, just
before De Brazza sailed. The interview was
stormy. At the end Gentil cried: Then II
Is henceforth duel to death between usi,
This is thought to have been a strange
utterance.
During the trial of Toaue the accused
once broke his habitual silence Send for
our chiefs" he exclaimed once when hard
pressed. Then he resumed his silence. for
he had been promised, first acquittal. then
a pardon. Now he is said to have told an
Gaud and Toque were only disciples Gentii
was their master In the art. He showed
them how TO kill negroes with the .chi-
cote, how to hang women by the feet. how
to cook up false tax lists, how to solve the
difficulty of making one man carry the bur-
den of two through the 200 miles to the