Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-07-10
Once Held American
For Ransom; His Demands
On Moroccan Government
Were So Great He Was
Taken Into Service To
Prevent Bankruptcy OF
Country.

Tangier, Morocco July 10.-Presi-
dent Harding's fellow townsman and
personal friend, the Rev. Joseph M.
Denning. who has just assumed his
duties here as American consul gen
eral and diplomatic agent. mas come
to Africa at a time when Morocco is
torn with unrest n Spain a
France are both fighting to maintain
supremacy in their zones of influ-
ence.
Eighteen years ago John Hays
"Perdicaris alive or Raisula dead!'
rang through the streets of Morocco
and -four American Warships steamed
into Tangier to back up American
demands for the release of Ian Fer
dicaris. whom Raisuli had kidnapped
and was holding in the mountains for
ransom.
The Moroccan government under
stood the language of warships with
guns turned shoreward. 1t paid
Raisuli the 10000 English pounds he
demanded for P~erdicaris' release, and
the incident was closed.
But this same Raisuli is still on
the rampage. He and many other
bandit chiefs are operating within a
has grown fat and prosperous since
the days when he made the Moroccan
government pay him so well for the
release of Ian Perdicaris and Walter
B. Harris, the correspondent OF the
London Times. But a few days ago
the Spanish troops drove him out OF
his citadel at Dazroot, 60 miles south
Of Tangier, and he and his harem
and 5000 or 1000 soldiers are in
flight in the mountains before the
artillery of the Spanish leaders who
have less fear Of bandits than has the
Moroccan government.
1t was in 1904 that Ralsuli captured
Perdicaris and black-malled the
Moroccan sultan into ransoming him
to avoid trouble with America. The
bandit leader became so powerful thai
he was named governor Of the
Tangier district a little later and was
also named governor of the city OF
Arzela. He was such a power that
the government could not refuse him
what he wished. When Spain took
over under the Algeciras Treaty IN
1912, it curried favor with Raisull
He was given arms for his forces anc
made a sort of governor.
Flight Is Disgrace.
Three years ago the Spaniards
tired of the extortions and demand
of Raisuli, ousted him from office: A
Dazroot he had erected a fortified
castle where he kept his bandit army
and his treasury protected against IN
2 vaders. He had machine guns, but NJ
heavy artillery. So when IN Spanisf
forces turned heavy shells against hi
d stronghold a few days there wa
nothing for him and his followers tt
&Sdo cut flee. al ,..
diserace pazroot is a holy city. I
contains the tomb of Absolam Raisuli
Ian ancestor of the bandit chlet. an
a patriarch much revered by Moham
-medans. Consequently Raisui1 ma
sflost fate by his inability to resist tn
attacks of the Christian troops. n
have broken the spell which his lon
series of successes had cast o hin
He is in flight in territory where n
sis much hated by the natives oecaus
Of his cruel exactions and II tn
II STANDARDS choose to pursue him nj
& Capture should not be difficult.
I'll Bandit For 40 Years.
For nearly 40 years Raisuli ha
&5been Morocco's pet bandit. He wa
8sborn about SO years ago at Tina
near Tangier, and first came int
Sfame through a owe affair. He kll!e
1.-THE husband of the woman OF hl
choice and also several other men a.
Exempted to prevent him from carry
H1SlnK H0I away. AiG IN 90
wayman and beanie the greatest rot
N Der in all Morocco. He was ono
cdptured by trickery. A governe
spromised him a high position an
trapped him by this bait. He VIZ
brown into the island prison of M
rador, which is generally cqulvalel
ri "a death. But he had poWer1'
FRIENDS and much money. Cons'
ouently he regained freedom and r.
turned to the road.
Through his KIDNAPPING of Perd
Aris, Walter b. Harris and Sir Harl
saSMaclIean, Raisuli became an intern;
tional figure n a hlghWayrna
swhose work was too expensive II
the IMPOVERISHED Moroccan govern
n . oseinance. His ransoms we
90 high that he had to be taken IN
government service to save the go
arnment from bankruptcy.
III Raisuli captured Perdiraris at n
summer home in the mountains ne
sTangier. Telephone wires commur
scating with the city were cut al
sPerdicaris' servants We're bribed.
fsfrirf,tened into assisting the h.g
sWayman who forced the, wealth
American to mount a horse and a
company the bandits into d1sta
simountains.
a. soon as Mr.. Perdicaris was r
leased he returned Immediately
new York and abandoned the beau
Villa in Tangier which he NJ
occupiedsf for many years. The @hou
Was converted into a moll CT
ind was destroyed by fire. sever
weeks ago.
II Ilxvs ~ MA nE