The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1906-07-03
STEPPED IN CRIME.
Incredible Atrocities, Cruelty and eru-
taiity Inflicted on Ignorant Natives.

NEW YORK, July 3.-Recitals Of
almost incredible atrocities, cruelty
and brutality are related by the Rev.
r. H. Nassau, for forty-five years a
missionary on the west
coast of Africa, recently returned to
this country. His information concerns
the Congo Free State, the personal
property of King Leo"old and net OF
Belgium as is generally supposed. The
missionary tells of hands and ears cut
off and Of barbarities practiced by Leo
pold's native soldiery and their white
officers.
Certain sections of the Congo State
have been depopulated fully rs per cent
in the last twenty years." said DR.. Mas
sau, land in spite Of Leopold's efforts to
renew the population at the expense Of
other sections the black race in in
terror Congo, will have disappeared
practically in twenty years, If civiliza-
ton, and particularly the Belgian gov
eminent, doesn't stop the barbarities
for which white men are directly re-
sponsible" Chicotting is common, but
these whippings are mild punishments
compared with other penalties.
Tribute to Death, LeopoId's Rule.
"Leopold's 1900 black soldiers were
selected because of their powerful stat
ure," said DR.. Nassau. "They are BUSH
men from the hills and hate the river
tribes over whom they are set to exact
tribute, chiefly in rubber. This soldiery
is established at twenty or more sta
tons and Differed by whites, few of
whom have military training.
Each village is required to furnish
within a given time a stipulated guam
tity of rubber. Frequently the oppress-
ed tribes are obliged to assign their
women to rubber gathering to meet
LeopOld's demands.
IF the prescribed amount is not
forthcoming, one or more persons has
an arm, leg or ear cut off as a penalty.
Frequently several persons are Killed If
the alleged offence is fragrant while
there are hundreds of instances where
scores have been murdered in a single
village
Worse than these wrongs are the
debaucheries practiced by both white
officers and their black soldiers. The
soldiers have their wives in the sta
tons, but on their collection trips they
pick from the helpless tribes many
women, the protests of fathers and
mothers being answered by death or
torture. The unfortunate women then
have to choose death or a life of
drudgery among their own people,
which is the African code
Young Wives Terribly Tortured.
"a German officer caused one of his
wives, mere girl, to be dashed to a
post, where he whipped her with hip
popotamus hide. All night she was
kept tied. On the following day honey
was put upon the girls wounds and she
was left in the sun, covered with bees
and ants and other insects. At night
the German officer beat her to death.
'In one village which failed to give
full tribute in rubber. every inhab-
tant was murdered excepting about a
dozen women, who might better have
died."
From the English speaking world, DR..
Nassau declares, help must come. He
commends the movement being led in
England by E. D. Morel and says reli-
ance may be placed on the reports of
Roger Easement, British consul in the
Congo. He calls Leopolds representa-
tives in the Belgian parliament the
kings Official apologists." He says
the condition is shame upon civili-
zation."
Dr. Nassau brings several cases Of
curios, some for Princeton university.
FOR SALE BY OWNER.