Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-02

his home. His nerves became so shattered
that the French feared he would die, and
it was ordered that he be transferred to
Algeria and kept under surveillance here
at Blidah, about thirty miles from Algiers.
Blidah is military station with bar
racks inside and a great fort on the foot
hills of the Atlas mountains nearby. 1t
has the chief army stud of the Algerian
cavalry and it's surroundings are such that
it would have been useless for the king
to have tried to escape. He was given
villa outside the city walls but he was
always surrounded by spies and police.
The king very we'll knew that 1t was use
less for him to think of making hiS way
off to the sea, and also that the 1000 miles
of desert between him and Dahomey were
patrolled by French soldiers on camels.
While in Martinique he had made all sorts
of promises of good behavior If he were
allowed to go back to his own country. He
continued to make such promises here, and
it is believed that the chief cause of his
death was his inconsistencies for the land
of the Amazon.
King Behanzin's Last Interview.
have the honor of having had the last
newspaper interview with this notorious
monarch. The interview was not full Of
meat for the king was too sick to talk
much. and as to the honor L doubt much
If that term applies to the meeting with
one who had probably offered up human
sacrifices, who had killed many Christians
and who naQ likely OlCen SndTpeHeO HIS
ivory teeth upon the human flesh of the
Caucasian race. At any rate, saw and
talked with the king in his prison villa
without the walls The audience took place
several weeks since My way to the villa
was over a road fenced in by high walls,
above which the green branches of olive
and orange trees waved. We passed gar
dens filled with roses. vineyards loaded
trees 1 verify believe, to have clad the
5000 Ewes of Behanzin's Amazon army.
Finally we came to a gate labeled La
Paisible''-"The Peaceable." 1t was in
place Of this. the bloodthirstiest of kings.
Nevertheless. 1t was there that Behanzin
was living with his four wives and his
numerous children. The villa Is large
randa twelve feet wide. with the rooms
opening out upon it. The house stands In
an orange grove of several acres, and as
I went up the walk l passed the two pet
which were feeding under the trees.
AS neared the house I was met by the
kings aid-de-camp, or the man who came
nearest to being his high court chamber
lain. He was dressed in white duck and he
spoke French ffuently. He is negro of
Martinique who has been with Behanzin
for some years. He took my card and
asked me to stay outside while he learned
whether his majesty would receive US.
Within a few moments he returned and
led US upstairs to the veranda Here we
waited while the high court chamberlain
crawled in through one of the windows
and passed out several cane-seated chairs
to us, asking us to rest upon them until
his majesty was ready. This we did.
A Word With the Crown Prince.
AS we tarried the crown prince, Oualino,
came around the corner and we chatted
with him. He is young fellow of about
eighteen. as black as your boots and with
full negro features. He is intelligent, has
been educated in the schools Of Martinique
and has also gone to school here. He
speaks French well and understands few
words of English. He was only six years
old when his father was carried away from
his kingdom less than thirteen years ago,
and, like the old king. he desires to go back
to Dahomey. He is quite dignified and has
what might be called imperial air. He
told me that Behanzin had been i'll ever
since he came to Algeria. that the weather
did not agree with him. nor his four wives,
and that they all wanted to go either back
to Martinique or on to Dahomey. He said
he feared his father would die If a change
was not made and prophesied his early
death. which has since taken place.
The King In Exile.
After few moments word came that the
king would receive u.s. and we went with