The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1915-08-16
General Bobo,
Ebony Hditien
IBy n. $. Rodey.

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Few out In this neck Of the woods,
have ever seen the Haiticn Napoleon.
General Booo. | had the pleasure In
1905. l a sailing from San Juan,
Porto Rico to New York. After wa
set sail, we were surprised to nnd
that n large portion OF the stern deck
OF the boat was fenced on. and mo-
tees put up that passengers we're not
allowed ait Of the fence From this
fenced on portion OF the deck a wide
stairway descended to the rear cabins
OF the boat. and We found that all
those cabin were also lock-closed
from the rest of the boat. My curios-
lily prompted me to try 20 nnd out
who toe occupants OF this rather large
sRoce In the boat we're. The pnssen-
ger list did not give me ans Informal
ton. I checked up the whole first
class list, except one name Mr..
bobo." No one aboard could or
would tell me who MIR. Bobo was. nor
was there any Century d%ictinary or
who's Who on board. that would aid
me.
FINALLY the second day out. one
early morning. / found that the cave
dwcller had come from below. ana
was sitting In "A steamer chair plume
against the stern rail. reading aloud
In French. | love the language, M
as the reader wus "a good one, I lis
tened from n point whore I WIS not
ol served. II was the great Hugo's
7 account OF the battle OF Waterloo.
Why YOU never heard a recital ~ the
chariot race In Fen Hur, that vc1
approached that reading. He was
ycatcd, bus even with that. the ami
nation of his voice. and hcad and
arm tfor the other hold the book
was fascinating. II was doubly so TO
mo. because TO me- utter astonish-
mont the reader was a negro Yes "a
negro in color. but in fCaturc-with
his thin auuilinc nose. hAs muustache
ami goatcc "a perfect black Napoleon
III, L. ~ course. Immediately did
my mental guessing. that hc Mas
scmc Haition diEnitary. Later IN the
day, ] caught him again in the same
position. and again urobsorvcd I lis
tened, and this time bis reading waa
p%orfcrt Spanish. but ! was not fam
liar with the author, although 1t also
WIS U iPttlc description.
Whit. ! was wondering at tho mys-
t%crious man, "a an lank individual
camo up from below to\sunmit some
sort of "a pupcr To- him. I'm which he
hastily made some r%orrcctio1s. and Ia
ny as;onisl mcut addressed tho man
who WIS "a read headed German In
the language of that country. mad
occg tins secretary of his, tho day be-
fore. Boo he social han of the boat,
where he lad without speaking To
ANYONE Eat down TO the piano, and
with his def fingers made Beethoven
Chopin. Padcrowsky and all the other
heavenly thinkers OF tune sound like
thirty cents. We saw no more thai
this ot the mysterious black Napul.
con scholar. thus fenced of In the
rear of the boat lie had separate
hclp. and separate table. aud kept "a
himself, In hia own corral. but when
We got 10 quprHntinc-it was carlS
morning. and the port physician,
bout was alongside, hut also 10! and
Echold. two or three newspaper boat
filled with reporters were on hand
also. each rushing to get aboard FIRST
Some of tho reporters knew me from
my Washington days, ana they made
eager inquiry for General Bobo" OF
me. Up 90 that time the name spell
nothing In particular to me-. so ] hat
10 ask who General Hobo vas, Gen,
] oral Of what or from whore aud ther
! learned that bee was q celebrated
Haiticn. and was probably coming q
Now York TO finance a revolution OF
something. .
I told Thorn he was fenced on m ~,
rear Of the boa Boz private quartclg
etc. nut just then to my surprise
noticed him standing among the
crowd with this sorrol topped seCro.
tary, waiting for the medical inspec.
tioa the same res tho tcst. and ms
was ncar him, / kept near my news.
paper f-icnds 10 hear what went on
nud thought ! might bc needed az In.
tcrpretcr Of some OF the languages
the general seemed tn be Conversan
with; but no. the general rcspondo,
to their inquiry IN tho finest English
and with a courtesy ana Il polish Yer!
evident. and pleasing rather than no
ticeable. lie invited them back 4,
his quarters. but / was busy with
other matters. 80 1 did not go uloag
My, hat he was a coed lruSsing fol
low. save tltOt he was Jack, lie wa
drcuCi like a prlsnerouI bushes
man, With grey striped trousers, blaci
cut-awhs coat, white vet, and dcrb.
hat; was Of a little more than medium
q size. plump and round. appeared Il
D so about nfty-hVe years OF age. AM
was the handsomest black man l eve