The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1922-03-30
RAISUL| WANTS
TO DIE IN PEACE
Moorish Leader, Now Object of
Spanish Attack, Once Drew
United States Fire.
SAYS HE'S TOO FAT TO FIGHT
Seventeen Years Ago He Figured In
Incident When Secretary Hay De-
manded "Perdicaris Alive or
Raisuli Dead"

Westinghouse isuli, the Moorish
bandit who has just again offered to
surrender to the Spanish military
| forces which are pushing an active
campaign against him in Morocco, is
! the man who once drew the United
States into action in that veXed corner
of the world.
He figured in that celebrated Incl
dent when Secretary of State John
Hay demanded "Perdicaris alive or
Raisuli dead"
That was II years ago in 1904.
Raisulf had captured Ion Perdicaris a
naturalized American citizen, and kept
him prisoner. President Roosevelt
sent a fleet of eight American war
vessels stripped for action into the
Tangier harbor while John Hay sent
his famous message to the feeble sui
tan in nominal command there.
Grows Too Fat to Fight.
Raisuli, who now says he is "too fat
to fight" had long been a leader of
the wild tribesmen who have frequent
ly swamped the trained battalions of
civilized power
Perdicaris, a wealthy man, was pres
ident of the European commission adj
ministrating affairs in Tangier city in
1904. He has told the story of his
capture and it was recounted some
time ago in a National Geographic So
ciety bulletin He was snatched out
of his summer home by Raisuli's raid
ers, and borne off to a mountain
From there the chieftain proceeded |
to open up negotiations with the sultan
Of Morocco, Perdicaris' family and |
eventually in indirect fashion with the |
American government, concerning the |
price to be paid for his captive The
United States cut short the chatter
ng in the fashion described The sui
an panic-stricken sent $4,000 in sill
yer to Raisuli, appointed him governor
If district, turned loose some of his
friends from Tangier jails and incar-
1erated some of Raisuli's enemies in |
heir place. Perdicaris later returned /
20 the United States to express his
hanks
Prosperity, however, came close to
'uining his erstwhile captor, RaisuIi.
lie got into a quarrel with the sultan
bout his goyernorship, was thrown
tut and promptly retaliated by bearing
If for ransom Kaid Sir Henry Me
4ean, British commander of the Mo
ocean army He arrayed his tribes
e., b., laI +Io
cast, doing much damage to European
and in 1907 succeeded in
citing all the hair-triggers in Euro
can diplomacy. \
The French navy bombarded one of
is captive towns, Casablanca. the now
practically extinct Kaiser Wilhelm
anne to bat, shifting undue French ex-
ansion in prospect, but the matter
yas Strengthened out in a council
hamber instead of on a battlefield.
,aisuli was chased back to his noun
ain fastness, but news dispatches
very few years record another of his
ruptions.
Captivated Captive. t
I'm many respects the man inter t
sted and attracted me in spite of all C
ly natural motives for dislike" Per
icaris says of Raisuli in the Geo J
'aphic society's report. "Raisuli was
'acious and dignifed, not only to u.s. =
1t to his own wild adherents, who :,
'idently idolized their chieftain, n
hose position among them seemed d
at of head of highland clan in a
den times. He was quick to see the :
lmorous aspect of a situation, while
S repartee was as immediate and to
e point as though he had been born
the County Galway.
Il found myself unconsciously ac-
pting his contention that he was not
mere brigand or cattle litter, but a
triot struggling to lift his Berber
flowers from the tyranny of corrupt
icials His charm of voice, the nat
al poise and dignity of his manner,
5 self-control under provocation, all
trayed a superior character"