The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1905-12-13
| A Colored Christian Missionary
Who Turned CannibaI.
SHOCKING DOWNFALL
OF the Rev. Wilberforcs, Who Has Peen
Arrested for Butchsri"g and Eating
the Human B,iugs He Once
Tried TO Convert in Dark.
est Africa

OF all the fances ever evolved In
the imaginings Of Rider Haggsrd--oi
Iii the weird legends thai ever came
toto the light out Of the darkness o.
the African forests there is none
stra! ger than thai OF the Rev. Dr..
Daniel Fiickinger WiloerfJrce, Of
Sierra Leone, once miss onary general
.ud now reported 10 be the war chi +
II rhe I pEerial tlioe and devOtee OF
,annih-li>m.
In the whole hi tory of missionary
labor among the races OF the Eas5 tue
story Of this venerable pastor OF seven
ty years, sometime called Bishop OF
the Cbufch OF the United Brethren OF
Amer ca, who, acculdlng to many de
tailed dispatches, after lorty years OF
missionary lie, reverted by a gradual
process of avatism to bis natural state
Il pagan and cannioal, stands with
nut a parallel.
Wherever missionary work Is
kn ,wp, wherev. good men aud wo-
m 70 lahIr through many years fer the
conversion of their benighted brethren
IN Ipci., Asia or Africa, the stCry Is
cold anu retold with lamentation.
Scientists and criminologls's the
word over will acc p5 the retrrglesH
sion III this missionary, famou,
5lrough tie East for his Ell, qlence
Ind learning, to the VIZ, paint Uf his
,ribs aud dinner Of human fash, as
stsbnsnlpg The elerual UluIn GnaJ ths
lriglnal b ,as5 u the savage Can never
"a 11-lled II C Centuries Of civilization,
and that Mr.. W!lberforce, secretly
hungering through forty years OF re
'Saio. vi LIS Jural helf Tor The
lssa for which lis blood craVed, and
he idols u bis reiathers, has but
oeyed the law OF his nature
Bu5 the good men and women OF
he white and colored races who
through long life have labored with
lind, cea less single hearted deV5tion
.or the enlighter m snt of the heathen,
sand sghast and in face OF Lnis'a1-
tul living spectacle of degeoeracy ask
themselves Whetuer their labor II
centuries IS, after all, labor spent IL
Vaio, and whether it Is. indeed, the
i'm nu1able law Of natHre tna5 the
savage strain once implanted In the
neart can never be wiped out.
Throughout this c)untry the story
oas STRUCK deep into the hearts OF tine
ministers Of all creedS, and OF those
~no give bounteously uf their wealth
and substance to shed the light OF
civilization on d d4rkened places. And
yer their hearGs and the hearts or Ine
plous men and woman OF Wllbelforce's
face hangs a black pail o. g'oom and
saame and doubt Of the future.
t'Jr Two generations had Mr.. VIII
oerforcs stood as the exemplar for all
young negro students Of diviulty OF
Ghe heights to which they themseiv
might reach in the pursuit OF thelr
"a 'fed mission; and for ube mission.
aries Of the white race he served as
beacon whenever their bearts failed
Ght NJ In the stupendous wo.k OF con.
version Of the West Afric IN savage.
To thousands Of his fellows landing IL
West Afr ca, fresh from these shores,
he has been as dear and venerable
friend, rich in experience as 10 learn
ing and erudi5lon; an adviser and guido
in the first few trOu oled months OF
their adventure.
And now, back at home In America,
or In England, or lab ,ring still in the
wild, they look blaL kly at each other
and ask how in the name Of Heaven
such things can be.
AS If in reply fall the words OF the
old man to his csptors as he was led
to the prison at Sierra Leone, there
to await bis trial for cannibAlism.
If I am to die it is well, 1 shall
die IN the faith of my fathers
faith that was BORN JnousanoS upon
Unorsends Of years ago and which all
your Christian Jeacnings have not
driven out. The forty years in which
1 lived in your faith were forty years
of a living lie. TIE vo ,s of my ta5n-
ers, OF my people whom 1 had desert
ed in my youth, of tile gods that l
had worshippsd, were ever clliing t.