The Washington herald., 1907-03-03

cover the head of the cardinal he could
lind no trace thereof. In fact, It IT, wan
dering somewhere upon the earth, Ike a
specter that has struggled out OF the do
main OF the dead
But leaving severed heads and return
Ing to severed hands and fingers, I need
not remind my readers Of the terrible
role which they play in the valley Of
the Congo where the collectors Of rub
Der. employed by King Leopold's DO
maine Privee." by the rubber concerns
in which he is a stockhoIder. are obliged
10 bring back from their expeditions a
quantity of rubber proportionate 70 the
population OF the villages visited what
ever Is missing from the quantity being
represented by the severed hands of the
men. women, and children who have
failed To furnish their quota This is a
matter OF official and Photographic rec
ord. and the photographs Of men. women,
and children, showing the mutiiated
stumps. have been printed IN almost ev-
cry newspaper in this country, through
the agency Of the Congo Reform Asso-
citation. The rubber is not purchased
from the natives. but IS exacted from
them as an impost, without any remm-
Grafton. and If they find themselves un-
able 20 supply il, they lose their hands,
the collectors protesting themselves un-
BILE to obtain the rubber. excepting
through the fear of this penalty. That
is why the rubber exported from the
Congo valley, and sold al Antwerp. is
popularity known in commerce as Red
Rubber and it is sincerely TO be hoped
that the assumption by the Thomas b.
Ryan American syndicate Of a share OF
King LeopOld's rubber interests in the
Congo Valley VIII have the effect Of put
ting a stop 20 this hideous scandal with
which King Le0polds name has been
identified IN the eyes of The civilized
world Had the international congress
which intrusted the sovereignty Of the
misnamed Free State to King Leopold had
an inkling Of the methods Of his agents,
IL would, doubtless, have selected rs ar
mortal bearings of the Congo the bloody
hand of UlsteT-a heraldic device. which.
according TO popular legend owes its
origin 10 the fact that a Scottish knight
seeing that his boat was about to be
beaten in the race for the Ulster shore.
slashed off his left hand with his sword
and hurled IL on the beach, being thus
able to claim the kingshp. which he
and other members of his expedition had
agreed should be accorded TO the knight
who first touched land.
Still more romantic and decidedly more
modern is the story Of the severed hand
OF the first Marquis Of Hastings. the
famous governor general of India. He
died at Malta on the way home from
Calcutta, his wife. Flora Campbell.
Countess Of Loudoun in her own right
and TO whom he was most tenderly de-
voted. being at the time in Scotland, at
LOudOun, with her children. Finding that
Il was impossible that his remains could
be conveyed home for burial. he directed
that his right hand should be cut off at
the wrist, and carried back 10 Scotland,
that il might be placed in the grave
where his wife would ultimately be en-
tOmbed. Fourteen years afteTward, when
his widow lay dying at LoUdoun Castle,
her daughter, the late Warehouses Of
Butte. sent a little note containing a key
to the minister of the parish church. She
him to go himself TO the vault
In LOudOun Church. and fetch a small
steel box which he was asked TO bring
TO her without any delay. delivering it
INTO her own hands. The minister i'm
question was the late Rev. DR. Norman
Tor nearly hdlf q century queen
Victoria's principal Scotch chaplain. spir-
tual adviser. and friend, but then
Young man. He did Lady Bute's bidding.
.arried the little box 70 the dying Mar
,hiouess of Hastings, who kept il rest
ug on her bed until she breathed her last
4 couple Of days later. Thereupon this
BOX. which contained her husbands sew
red right hand, which she had held be-
'ore the altar Oh her wedding day. was
recording to her own direction and 10 her
ord's desire inclosed in her coffin.
In conclusion, it may be stated that
King Edward had for many years. and
possibly still has to-day upon his writ /
ng table. at Sandringham, in his work
Dom. "a severed hand, under a small |
slass globe. resting on black velvet |
-ushion. He used to regard Il as a fet- /
ch. 1t was the hand OF an Egyptian I
Princess Of the time of the Pharaohs. 4
10 exQuisitely preserved that in spite of I
he three or four thousand years that
lad elapsed since her death. every line /
If the finger tips could be traced. 1t was /
brought from Egypt nearly thirty years I
100 for the then Prince of Wales by
TX ATTACHE |
4 TOuEh One