Delaware City press. (Delaware City, Del.) 1913-19??, 1913-03-28

A-HNN9 the story OF MS tragic end WAS pub
lished broadcast. Yet so many who
have travelled in Stanley's Darkest Africa"-the
territory which witnessed the truly remarkable
end OF an adventurous career-the details Of the
dramatic chase through the jnngles and its still
more dramatic conclusion will not be mere
ppe-dream.
There must be many others in America besides
myself who have been through this section of
Central Africa and to whom Rogers was known
personally. And to US the story brings regrets,
LOT Rogers was fine type of man. even though
ms latter days were spent in outlawry and de-
nance OF lawfully constituted authority
In order that the causes which led up to the
tragedy may be better understood, It is neces.
sary to touch lightly upon history and political
facts Many may recall that the British govern
ment leased the strip of the Congo territory
known as the Lado Enclave-a long strip stretch.
ing along the banks of the Nile from the south.
ernmost extremity Of Lake Albert to Kiro on
the edge of Sudan-to the late King Leopold OF
the Belgians, for the duration of his lifetime On
MS death, 1t passed back into British hands and,
incidentally under the control of the Sudan
officials
Prior to ths-that is to say under Leopolds
rule-the Lado Enclave was the happy hunting.
ground of a band of British and foreign ivory.
poachers. The Belgian administration of the
Lado was mere farce. ofFcials were few and
lar between and the natives did as they willed
without fear of let or hindrance 1t must be re-
membered, however, that If any Of the poachers
were caught red-handed with the poached ivory
they We're sent to the Belgian Congo capital, Leo.
poldsville, on the Congo river to undergo ten
years hard labor in a chain-gang.
This little pleasantly of punishment was the
worse imaginable, They were chained round the
neck and fastened TO long string of the worst
native malefactors. Their legs were riveted into
chains and round their middles were other heavy
chains, supporting the enormous leg-irons All
Jay THESE poor wretches worked in the forests or
In the open, under blazing sun, goaded on to
further labor by the extreme brutalities of their
hardhearted guards
White man and negro were treated alike No
laVors were shown to any of them.
1t may be safely stated that the death OF
Rogers closes the long chapter of lawless ele.
phant poachtng in the Congo. For years the
Lado Enclave was known as mo Mans Land"
but 1t is not SO now, for the Sudan government
assumed control in June 1910, and set about ex.
terminating the poaching industry.
On my arrival at Mongolia. the southernmost
post OF the Sudan on the Nile in those days /
9sd the good fortune to meet nv, old ccmrada5an
arms, Capt @ ". Fox Of cae Egyptian army, ard
discussed at length with him the prospects OF rout.
ing out the ivory-poachers.
AT the time little thought that triae over
two years later, Captain Fox would be the central
figure with Rogers in one of the most dramatic
and exciting stories of real adventure which has
ever come out of the Congo, or, for that NATTER
Africa. But we who know Africa have learn
ed to be surprised at nothing.
Part OF this remarkable story comes to me d.
rect from my old friend Captain Fox and part
from other friends in Africa. Captain Foxs story
lacks good many details, for the modesty of
the British soldier is reflected throughout his mar
rative There are many points you and would
like to have cleared up, but either Fox's modesty
or his sense of what is due to dying mans last
request prevent the calculation of the blank
spaces.
For instance, we would like to know who is the
doctor referred to by Rogers and Captain Fox.
Maybe shall never know Rogers lips are
sealed by death and the lips of Captain Fox are
sealed by dying mans last charge. The doc
tor" must go down to posterity as q figure of
mystery. unless the Begians disclose his name
We know that he the boon companion of
Rogers and we have the latter's statement that
he was innocent of poaching.
One must sympathize with Rogers even If one
disapproves of his breaches of the law. His ia a
picturesque figure and he died as. no doubt, he
would have wished to have died-with his face
to the front and shielding his comrade the mys-
terious DOCTOR
Rogers was an American who. at different
times, was a resident of many cities in California
He had spent many years of his life in an I'm.
quenchable search after adventure-with a big
A-until he found his hearts desire In Central
Africa He Joined in the rush to the Klondke in
the late nineties and after his return he entirely
disappeared until the news came of his death in
Africa
After trying first thing and then another
in Africa, he turned his hand to elephant poach
ing, and here he found his true element of adj
venture
He got the natives of the Lado Enclave under
his control so that they did his every bidding
and acted as his allies. He established an or
ganized administration over the wild trackless
country, and, among these naked savages, who
had hitherto known no MASTER was virtually a
king, even If he was uncrowned monarch
Time after time he evaded capture by Sudan and
Belgian officials And, finally, we know that he
eluded hot pursuit for ever six weeks
Entering the Lado Enclave with his white com.
panion, he set to work to make the unruy and
hitherto unsubdued natives subservient to his
willard even more than that for he made
them stanch allies. On the approach of govern
ment officials the natives would give him ample
warning so that he could escape. Then he tray.
eled about the country until he saw good site
for his headquarters, where he could store his
ivory, ammunition and supplies.
Thn no,.AAh i.s. a.. IL.