The Lamar register., 1920-11-03
IN OLD C00MASSIE
West African Town Not Always
AQuist Spot.
Considered Thoroughly Up to Date
Today, II Was the Scene. Twenty
Years Ago. Of Grim Tragedy
Of Frontier Warfare.

Marjorie and Alan Letherldge. the
special correspondents of the London
Daily Telegraph In Wes, Africa.
write as follows from Coomassie, cap
itsl Of the British coioay OF Asian.
tiland:
At the present day Coomassie looks
more like an Indian town than any
other on the coast. and IL is the pride
OF Its residents that socially IT is also
like India. There are real grass tennis
courts. real regimental band. and.
before tie war, there was the best
polo team In the cololy. Such II is
today, and yet, 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 al that time
prevented the siege of Coomassie from
taking Its proper place IN history. But
we who have experienced the incon-
veniences and discomforts Of trekking
de luxe" aud who knows how much
Is needful In this part OF the world
to make life even bearable. can appre-
by the defenders Of the fort and the
agooizing suspense that they endured
until they heard r,ie first shots OF the
relieving force.
The chief commissioner OF Ashanti
now lives in the fort which gave lts
meager protection 10 Captain Bishop,
Lieutenant Ralph and DIR. Hay. with
their 1875 soldiers, during those inter.
minabie weeks. One now has an eve-
aiug gin and bitters on the very spot
from which those three officers could
see the fires OF burning villages and
hear tie wailing OF starving women
aud children. The Ashantis themselves
seem TO have shot their last bolt ln
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 l. the golden stool OF Ash
anti? It disappeared in 1895 and has
never been seen since. ON IL the Ash
anti chiefs had sat and dispensed their
own peculiar form Of justice from the
earliest days and. so far as is known.
II Is still concealed 10 the lnnermOst
recesses Of their land. But II would
be q brave European who openly at.
tempted TO track II to Its hiding place,
and there Is just q possibility that II
has been privately sold during period
Of financial stress.
kofe Karikari. the King OF Ashanti
In 1873. behaved IN al even more sac
riiegious manner. He secretly opened
the mausoleum of his ancestors and
robbed their bodies OF the golden or
aaments without which no Ashanti Of
any means Is ever lowered into the
tomb.
II would never have been discov-
cred had aot the lynx eyes OF the
Queen-mother observed that the IA
vorite wives of the king were lnerpll-
cably wearing rings and bracelets OF
sntique workmanship. A little inveS-
tigation and she denounced him pub
ucly.
An sdnission Of his guilt WAS the
only tfing left for kilg kofe. He had
sold the major proportion OF his plum
der. 50 he mngniloIuently Informed
his chiefs that he Intended 10 blow
himself ana 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
nrst." II is perhaps superfiuous to add
that King Kofe did nothing of the