Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1921-04-19
SLAVE TRAFFIC
FLOURISHES IN
NORTH AFRICA
Natives Of UnConquered
Districts of Morocco Traf-
fiC in Human Beings,
Correspondent Finds.

MeliIla, Morocco, April 1s,-Slav-
cry and trading in slaves still flour
ish, in the unconquered districts
OF both the French and Spanish
Zones of Morocco. There have been
stories that some of the slaves are
white people, but these reports are
not borne out by inquiry.
f. Threats by the turbulent Moors
of the Riff coast to sell into slav-
cry a Spanish sailor boy, Francisco
Sallud, unless his father with
whom he had been wrecked and
captured, paid ransom of 1000
pesetas. led the Associated Press
correspondent TO make an inquiry
into the question OF the existence
of enslaved white people in north
ern Africa. E E.Hu
Slave Markets Maintained.
The result of his inquiries shows
that of recent years instances Of
white people being sold into s!aV-
cry have been very rare, but there
are slave markets for the sale and
purchase OF colored people in the
districts to which French or Span
ish rule have not reached e
The traffic VARIES according toI
tho economic situation of thet
tribesmen who, when they are in
funds, do not hesitate to give high
prices for slaves to be used nsl
servants. Slaves. so purchased be-
come personal property of the
family into which they are bought
and are disposed of by testament
when the proprietor dies.
However, 1t fis customary for the
purchaseryto make a formal agree
ment before competent legal am
thority to grant his slave his lib-
erty on his masters death, when
the heirs have to give up all claim
and at the same time allow the lib |
Grated slave TO live ION and Guilt !
waite any portion of his dead mas
ter's land which may have BEEN
left to him.as one of the family. |
9, A 'slave-owner may give his slave !
a wife from among his other slaves
bought in the same way and the
children of these marriages become /
slaves of the same. owner unless
he has signed the agreement al |
ready mentioned in connection |
with their parents.
Prices paid for slaves vary corr
slderably.a Generally the age Is the
chief consideration but, girl slaves,
beauty calls for the highest prices.
Seven hundred and fifty pesetas
(about $100sat the present rate Of
exchange) Is about the maximum
figure ever paid--and this only in II
the case of very young and hand
some girl. Should the human mer-
have passed the age of
SIS, or 40, the price paid is round i
about 400 pesetas, never more.
All, purchases are made condi-
tionally on the slaves proving sat
isfactory. A close examination is
made of the slaves mouth to see
whether he or she possesses a com
plete set of teeth. Proofs are re- |,
CURED that the slave is neither
weaksighted nor deaf and dumb,
while limbs are tested and mus
cles tried and every part of the
body subjected to minute inspec-
ton in order to discover physical
defects. a~i {tf
Three Days Trial. 4
For women slaves three days
trial of their domestic aptitudes is.
demanded before the purchase is
t @ sss Is
Such are the conditions of the
slave trade in Morocco atsthe pres
emit day, and this is the fate from s
which Francisco Sallud escaped, /,
by payment of part of the h
ransom demanded, although exact
as to the transaction isl
II