Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1913-04-18
]! acknowledges "{ Ring
The Fa}rLdofhe famous American Ivory 6acher I'D
cO0rHNEHT 81 Rz0CH4y co.

We'll, you're cool one, Rogers ADMITTED
grudgingIy. do you know have you covered
with my Cot?"
Yes. but you won't dare to shoot' FOX laughed
quietly.
Wont dare Why not, should like to known"
Rogers answered back. Il have over hundred
armed men outside and you only have four men
with you, so my men tell me"
Nevertheless, you won't dare shoot me or mo-
lest my men. You are under arrest, Mr.. Rogers.
for Illicit ivorypoaching, murder. entering a
closed district without permit. and carrying a
gun without a license"
so that is what I am charged with. is ftp"
Rogers smiled grimly Have you no other
charges to PREFER"
You're wounded now. Let all that rest until
you are better"
mo. I'm dying man. guess. Do you know
you're in the Belgian territory, that you are sur
rounded by my men, and that you stand more
chance of arrest than do?"
You are mistaken | am not in Belgian terri
tory and we need not discuss the chances of my
arrest"
Captain Fox deemed it wise not to excite the
man any more and silently withdrew from the
room Once outside he set to work to disarm
the followers of the dying Rogers This was soon
accomplished for they cowed. now that
their leader was helpless.
In the middle Of the night a native servant
came to Captain Fox to say that Rogers was dy-
ing and that he wished to speak to the officer
The soldiers did not want him to go into the
house again. But Captain Fox was not to be de-
tered.
AS he entered the house. Rogers turned to his
white companion saying
Doctor, l wish you to hear and be a witness to
what going to say to Captain Fox sur
render myself voluntarily to the Sudan govern
ment ] want you to see that the doctor gets
into no trouble over this affair, captain. / be
I m mi going
to lie about it. This was my show and all my
work. The doctor is blameless."
On the following afternoon the three soldiers
who had been sent on ahead arrived at the vii
lage and gave Captain Fox account of their
experience.
They stated that arriving in the poacher's
stronghold Rogers ordered them to give up their
arms. He seized his Mauser rife and opened
fire with 1t and revolver. His companion, the
doctor, also fired on the soldiers with Winches-
ter. Others attacked them with Winchesters and
with arrows Had 1t not been almost dark, the
soldiers would have been killed and, as it was
they all had narrow escapes all of them being
hit
In the fighting Rogers was struck by soldiers
bullet, which lodged near the hip, but he walked
to his house and sat down in chair
By this time Captain Fox satisfied that he
was Belgian territory and wrote to the Bel
gian commandant to explain the occurrence. Two
Gays later the Belgian officer arrived on the scene
with large escort of troops.
The day after the arrival of the Belgians, Rog-
ers was obviously dying, and sent for Fox He
was conscious to the end and described his symp-
toms
. Say captain, you are big fellow and strong
Lift me up once more-for the last time" he
muttered. 81 shall not be here tomorrow. I'm
still pretty heavy, amt II"
Fox leaned over him and gently raised him on
the bed with his arms under the dying mans
shoulders
I'm sorry Rogers" he said. But you brought
this on yourself"
Il know. old man. You're all right. I would
rather have surrendered to you than any one.
Goodbye, Doc Good-by, captain Remember, the
doctor is innocent. all my sh--"
His head dropped back as his spirit went to
render its last account to its Maker Gently Fox
laid the body Of the poacher on the bed and then
turned away to escape the sorrow Of the doctor.
who was deeply unstrung by his friends death
And so this man died. far away from his friends
and country. Full of courage and grit to the end,
his fate was worthy of better cause. So did the
curtain fall upon the most dramatic tragedy in
the history of the Congo elephant poachers.