Gilpin observer., 1920-07-29
IN old COOMASSIE
Nest African Town Not Always
A Quiet Spot.
Considered Thoroughly Up to Date
Today, It Was the Scene, Twenty
Years Ago, Of Grim Tragedy
Of Frontier Warfare.


Marjorie and Alan Letheridge, the
special correspondents of the London
Daily Telegraph in West Africa,
write as follows from Coomassie, cap
!tal of the British colony of Ashan-
Hand:
At the present day Coomassie looks
more like an Indian town than any
other on the coast, and it is the pride
Of its residents that socially it is also
ike India. There are real grass tennis
courts, real regimental band, and,
before the war, there was the best
polo team in the colony. Such it is
today, and vet, only twenty years ago,
the quaint little fort in the center of
the town was the scene of one of the
grimmest sieges of Britain's many
frontier wars.
Only the fact that all eyes were
turned on South Africa at that time
prevented the siege of COomassie from
taking it's proper place in history. But
we who have experienced the incOn-
veniences and discOmforts of trekking
"de luxe" and who knows how much.
Is needful in this part of the world
to make life even bearable. can appre-
ciate somewhat the sufferings borne
by the defenders of the fort and the
agonizing suspense that they endured
until they heard the first shots of the
relieving force.
The chief commissioner of Ashanti
now lives in the fort which gave its
meager protection to Captain Bishop,
Lieutenant Ralph and DR.. Hay, with
their 125 soldiers, during those inter-
minable weeks. One now has an eve
ming gin and bitters on the very spot
from which those three officers could
see the fires of burning villages and
hear the wailing of starving women
and children. The Ashantis themselves
seem to have shot their last bolt in
the way of 'frightfulness." however,
and no longer rank among the brave
tribes of the colony. Only One trace
Of the romance of the past remains.
Where is the golden stool of Ash
anti? 1t disappeared in 1896 and has
never been seen since. On 1t the Ash
anti chiefs had sat and dispensed their
own peculiar form of justice from the
earliest days and, so far as is known,
1t is still concealed in the innermOst
recesses of their land. But it would
be brave European who openly at
tempted to track 1t to its hiding place,
and there is just possibility that 1t
has been privately sold during period
Of financial stress.
Kofe Karikari, the King Of Ashanti
In 1873. behaved In al even more sac
rilegious manner. He secretly opened
the mausoleum of his ancestors and
robbed their bodies Of the golden or
naments without which no Ashanti Of
any means Is ever lowered into the
tomb.
1t would never have been discov-
cred had not the lynx eyes of the
Queen-mother observed that the IA
vOrite wives of the king were inexpli-
cably wearing rings and bracelets Of
antique workmanship. A little inves-
tigation and she denounced him pub
licly
An admission of his guilt was the
only thing left for King Kofe. He had
sold the major proportion of his plum
der, so he magniloquently Informed
his chiefs that he intended to blow
himself and them up with gunpowder
In order to obliterate his shame. I'VE
are quite ready to die as you request" :"
was their reply, ''but blow yourself up
first." 1t is perhaps superfluous to add
that King Kofe did nothing of the
sort