The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1922-07-06
Assumes Duties as
American Consul

AdhAttT,- NlOEOCSob cuiy ICSi-
dent Harding's fellow townsman and
personal friend, the Rev. Joseph NJ.
Denning, who has just assumed his
duties. here as American consul gen.
eral and diplomatic agent, has come
to Africa at time when Morocco IS
torn with unrest and Spain and
France. are both fighting to main
tain supremacy in their zones of in
'uence.
Eighteen, years ago John Hays
''Perdicaris alive or Raisuli dead!"
rang through the streets of Morocco
md four American warships steamed
into Tangier to back up American
demands for the release of Ian Per-
licaris, whom Raisuli had kidnapped
and was holding in the mountains for
,ansom.
The Moroccan government under
stood the language of warships with
:uns turned shoreward. 1t paid Raj
;uli the 10000 English pounds he de-
| manded for Perdicaris' release, and
he incident was closed.
But this same Raisuli is still on the
rampage. He and many other bandit
hiefs are operating within a hun
lred miles of Tangier. Raisuli has
crown fat and prosperous since the
lays when he made the Moroccan
government pay him SO well for the
elease of Ian Percardis and Walter
B. Harris, the correspondent of the
london Times. But few days ago
the Spanish troops drove him out of
his citadel at Dazroot, go miles south
of Tangier, and he and his harem
and three or four thousand 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 Raisuli cap
tured Perdicaris and blackmailed the
Moroccan sultan into .ransomfng him
to avoid trouble with America. The
bandit leader became so powerful
that he-was named governor of the
Tangiere district 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 Raisuli
He was given arms for his forces and
made sort of governor.
Three years ago the Spanerds,
tired of the extortions and demands
of Raisuli, ousted him from office
At Dazroot. he had erected a forti-
fled castle where he kept his bandit
army and his treasury protected
against Invaders. He had machine
guns, but no heavy artillery. So
when the Spanish forces turned heavy
shells against his stronghold a few
days ago. there was nothing for him
and his followers to do but flee.
This flight puts Raisuli nito bitter
disgrace. aDazroot' Is holy city. 1t
contains the tembsof Absolam Raj
suli, an ancestor of the bandit chief,
and a patriarch much reHered by
Mohammedans. Consequently Raisu-
Ii has lost face by his inability to re-
sist' the attacks of \ the Christian
troops. They have broken the spell
which his long series of successes
has cast about him. He is in flight
in territory where he 81 much hated
by the natives because Of his cruel
exactions and If the Spaniards choose
to pursue him his capture should not
be difficult.
For nearly 40 years Raisuli has
been Morocco's pet bandit. He was
born about so years ago at Zinat,
near Tangier, and first came into
fame through a love affaffir. He
killed the husband of the woman of
his choice and also several other men
who attempted to prevent him from
carrying her away. Then he turned
highwayman and became the greatest
robber in all Morocco. He was once
captured by trickery. A governor
promised him a high position and
trapped himE with this bait He was
thrown into the island prison of Mo
gador, which is generally equivalent
to death. But he had powerful
friends and much money Conse-
quently he regained freedom and re-
turned to the road.
Through his kidnapping of Perdi-
caris, Walter B. Harris and Sir Harry
MacLean, Raisuli became an inter
national figure and a highwayman
whose work was too expensive for
the impoverished Moroccan govern
ment to finance. His ransoms were
so high that he had to be taken into
government service to save the gov
ernment froms bankruptcy.
Raisuli captured Perdicaris at his
summer home in the mountains near
Fangier. Telephone wires communi-
eating with the city were cut and
Perdicaris' servants were bribed or
frightened into assisting the high
wayman, who forced the wealthy