The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-04-28
RASULI DEAD, SAYS RUEOR
MOROCCAN BRIGAND SAID TO BE-
MURDERED BY TRIBESNEN.
Confirmation Of the story Lacking At
Tangier-Pars Hears He Vas Ans
pushed After q Feast-Picturesque Ca
reer Of an ArlstC cratic Freebooter.
Spsctal Cable Dsspaiehss 10 TEE Sun.

the Moroccan brigand chief, has been muir
dered has been current since Friday last
but it is impossible to confrmit.
PARIS, April fla despatch from Tan
gior says that Raisuli, the bandit chief,
has been assassinated near Tazerant by
I'll Kmes tribesmen.
A news agency here has what purports
to be confirmation Of the report. The story
Ia that the bandit was ambushed by num-
Der Of tribesmen while returning 10 his home
from a native feost Of Tered in his honor.
Other reports express doubt as to the truth
Of the rumors.
Muai Ahmed Ben Mohammsd, called
Raisuli. Is, OF was, an aristoorat by
birth and breeding, for he is a direct de-
scendant Of the prophet Mohammed him
self, through Mulai Idris, who founded
the Mohammedan Empire Of Morocco.
In the city Of Tetuan there il a beautiful
mosque which serves as a maUsoleum
for the bones Of many Of the brigand's
ancestors. IL was in Tetuan too that
Raisuli received a religious education,
for his relatives intended to make a priest
Of him. But he took unkin1ly to the re-
ligious life. He was handsome, adventu.
rous, brave, cruel, cold and calculating
Cattle stealing suited him much better
than studying the Koran and TO cattle
stealing he turned his attention at an early
age.
Now a cattle thief in Morocco Ia a per-
sonege, that Is 70 say a SUCCESSFUL cattle
thief. Raisuli had all the qualifications
/ and proceeded 10 show them, II wasn't
long before his name became a terror 10
the country Mothers used TO threaten
bad children that Raisuli would get EN-
II they didn't watch out. Caravans from
near and far were held up and robbed and
before long the biggest merchants were
under a system Of tribute TO Raisuli.
Things got so lively t%hereabout that
the Sultan was compelled 10 take notice.
Raisuli was betrayed by a mar he trusted
and thrown into the dungeon at Mogador.
For the rest Of his life his arms and legs
still showed the scars Of the chains with
which he was loaded. The bandit put In
five consecutive years in Jail and then filed
OF his shaokles and escaped. He was re-
captured and served two more years, when
he was released.
Persons who knew him well aver that the
bandit decided upon his release TO lead a
law abiding life thereafter. They say that
his relapse into f~reebooting was caused by
the fact that the man who betrayed him in
the first place was powerful with the Govern
ment and had confscated his property.
However that may be, Raisuli was soon
back at cattle stealing, b~lacklnailing and
common highway robbery and murds T.
1t was something over eight years ago when
he and his band descended upon the home
Of a Spaniard who lived in the outskirts Of
Tangier. This man was supposed TO be a
miser. Raisuli murdered the old mans SON
in-law and carried on the rest OF the family,
holding them for ransom. A search OF the
Standards house and garden revealed no
hidden wealth, and in his wrath Raisuli
had the old mans two grandchildren put
10 death.
The bandits next great exploit was the
capture Of Add ell MALACHI, Lieutenant
Governor OF Tangier. MALACHI went to col
lect taxes from the Fuhs tribe, and Raisuli
and his band. assisted by the tribesmen.
fell upon him. captured him and tortured
him. None OF these exploits attracted wide
attention outside Morocco, but along In
August, 1903, Raisuli got into the internal
tional limelight with a vengeance. He kid
mapped Walter Harris, the Moroccan
correspondent Of the London Times, Now,
Harris was an intimate friend OF the Sultan
Of Morocco and his kidnapping was inter-
preted as ~evincing Raisuli's desire 10 strike
at the Sultan as direct a blow as possible.
Harris was carried TO the briRand's camp In
the mountains about forty miles from Tan
gier.
Then one evening Raisuli used a little
diplomacy. lie threw a headless body
into Harris's tent. Harris wrote TO the
Government authorities that he very much
wished they would pay up. They paid up
and Harris was released.
II was only one year later that Raisuli
performed a similar stunt with Ion Per-
dicaris. an American citizen, with a resi-
denoe at Trenton, n. j., and Cromwell
Marley, a British subject and Perdicaris's
stepson. Perdicaris had a beautiful villa
just outside Tangier, where he entertained
lavishly. This was surrounded at night
by Raisui and his band and Perdicaris
and Marley were carried OF in the same
manner as Harris. RAisuli treated mis-
captives well and maintained that their
capture wa a political move chiefly. Ger
tain Of his followers had been captured
and he was willing to swap Perdicaris and
Marley for them and So 900 ransom.
Immediately after the capture OF Per-
dicaris there was a big international up
roar. The United States sent warships, |
Great Britain aud France took steps and all
hands prodded the Moroccan Government
TO action. Raisuli was not disturbed.
lie felt confident that no foreign Govern
meht would undertake a land campaign
in his country for any such cause. Mean
time at the Republican national oonven-
ton at Chicago, June, 1904, a delegate read
a despatch purporting 10 have been sent
by Secretary Hay 10 the Moroccan Gov
eminent and reading we want Perdicans
alive or Raisuli dead No such message
had been sent, but II made a lot OF talk,
Only a few days later the Sultan sur
rendered TO Raisulis terms. IL was a
complete victory for the bandit, He got
$4,000. tho Govemorship Of all the dis
tncts near Tangier. the release from prison
OF hIs followers and the removal from Office
of the man who had betrayed him 30 many
years before.
For some time Raisuli wal a model citizen
and officer. Cattle thieving stopped, lack
mail stopped and b~rigandage was reduced
10 a minimum, But his reform was only
temporary and it wasn't long before he
became a despot in and around Tangier.
BlaCkmail OF Europeans was resumed and
the Moroccan Foreign ONCE suffered
likewise. Raisuli's followers staggered
about the city. beating every one who dis
putcd them, and things Don became intoler-
able. After the Algeciras conference, at
which il was determined that Spain and
France should Jointly policeTangier, Il was
determined that Raisuli must 60. He was
removed from Office late in 1909 and from
that time on things went from bad to
worse with him. Many OF his followers
deserted him, his fortress at Zinat was
shelled and burned and though he sent
word that he would rebuild It with the
bones Of those Who had destroyed it he
never got around 10 this pleasing job. lie
was ultimately forced to fee to the noun
tairs again.
Morocco IL a country Of surprises, but it