The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1912-11-19
WAS THE LAST SLAYER.
Voyage Of Wanderer to Congo for
Cargo of Nearoes

This ship was built in New "TOrK in
1896 by Joseph q. BayIess Tor j. T.
johnson. IA member OF the New York
Yacht CLUB. Shortly after the Wan
derer was launched from the ways
of bayless shipyard Johnson sold -
to Captain Corrie, who retained II
time that Charles A. h. Lamar o.
Savannah, Ga, young man of high
social position and a member of one
OF the wealthiest and most arlstocrat-
ic of Southern families, decided to
make the experiment OF bringing a
cargo OF slaves from the west coast
of Africa, landing them at some point
on the southern coast of the United
States.
This adventurous and daring young
man was tempted to undertake this
risky enterprize by the enormous pro-
fits awaiting those who succeeded in
landing negroes in America without at
tracting the attention of the courts
and officers. The importation OF
slaves had been outlawed in this cOun-
try for nearly half century and such
was the vigilance OF the British,
French and American war vessels
in patroling the West African coast
and in running down suspicious craSt
that few other than the most dar-
ing, not to say foolhardy, cared to
run the risk of a slave voyage.
Lamar took into his confidence
Captain McGhee of Columbus, Ga,
Richard Dickc, SOW of Richmond, Va.
and Captain Egbert Farnum, a former
mail rider and Indian fighter. Pro-
ceeding to New York, these men pur-
chased the Wanderer from Corrie,
joined the New York Yacht club,
spent money lavishly and in such
manner as to render themselves ex-
tremely opLlar with the smart set
Il llldl Iti lOu hhiul oihNiNu i''
mum to take the Wanderer to Chareo-
TN, 5 c.. telling ris friends hc ' %
tended to set out from that port &:
pleasure cruise to China. Che
same report was industriously circulat-
cd at Charleston, where, a few weeks
later, Lamar and his friends jclleu
Farnum. In the late spring DG 1Sa3
they set sail for parts known only 10
themselves.
The voyage to the mouth CT the
Congo river, on the West African
coast, occupied about twice the need
full period, owing chiefly to the facI
that Lamar was obliged to steer
clear of a great many vessels he had
no desire to meet. The ships des-
tination was, however, reached In
safety, since it entered the Congo
river unobserved by the warships pa
trolling the coast. The anchor OF
the Wanderer had barely settled In
the rivers mud before Lamar and
his associates were bargaining with
the native chiefs and half caste Por-
tugese slave traders for the deiiVery
at a point known as BraZzivllle of 400
or more slaves.
The negotiations scarcely Were con-
cluded when curious incident
brought out the wonderful seli-pos-
session, resourcefulness and clever
ness of Lamar. The meeting with
the chiefs and traders had Just ad-
journed and the owners of the Wan
derer were just stepping from the
yawl to the yacht when a British
man war appeared in the river,
anchoring only a few hundred yards
from the SLAYER. The moment Lamar
ought sight of that vessel he ordered
the crew of the yawl back to their
oars, and with Farnum struck out for
the repre- sentative of her Britannia
majesty on the high seas, He mount
ed the ladder of the man-of-war and,
proceeding straight to the cabin, in
troduced himself to the officers, con-
Quoted himself in manner so thor
oughly agreeable that the officers
would not hear of his returning until
late that night To meet an educa-
ted gentleman in that wilderness o.
naked savages and sordid slave hunt-
ers they declared was real treat so
rarely enjoyed that they proposed to
make the best of it while it lasted.
The next day Lamar arranged din
ner in honor of the British officers,
a dinner that was given on board the
Wanderer He had completely dis
armed their suspicious by stating
that, as a gentleman of wealth, he and
some friends were making a-pleasure
cruise to India.
The dinner was a great success,
Cbo,,nor,o 1OuoJ 1ilya uofar and