Democratic Sentinel, Volume 5, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 July 1881 — JUSTICE IN AFRICA. [ARTICLE]

JUSTICE IN AFRICA.

The Ors*taal Slupe the Riled Ooddeui Sometime. Aaeame* There. [Holubb’s “Seven Years in South Africa.”] A Barolong, quite advanced in years, had set his affections upon a fatherless girl of fifteen, living in the town; she peremptorily refused to become his wife, and as he could not afford to buy her, he devised a cunning stratagem to obtain her. He offered his hand to the girl’s mother, who did not hesitate to accept Kim ; by thus marrying the mother, he secured the residence of the daughter in his own quarters; the near intercourse, he hoped, would overcome her repugnance to himself; but neither his appearance nor his conversation, mainly relating to his wealth in cattle, had the least effect in altering her disposition toward him. Accordingly, he resorted to the linyaka. Aware of the pains that were being taken to force her into the marriage the girl carefully avoided every action that could be interpreted as a sign of regard. As she was starting off to the fields one morning to her usual work, her stepfather called her back, and if her own story was true, the following conversation took place: “I know you hate me,” he said. “E-he, e-he !” she assented. “ Well, well, so must it be !” he answered, but he stamped his staff with rage on the ground. “Yes, so must it be,” replied she. “But you must promise me,” he continued, “that you will not marry another husband.” “Na-ya,” she cried, bursting out laughing; “na-ya.” “ Then I’ll poison you,” he yelled. The girl, according to her own account, was alarmed and went and told her mother and another woman, who were working close by the river. They tried to reassure her, telling her that her stepfather was only in joke, but they did not allay her apprehensions. That very evening, while she was taking her simple supper of watermelon, he called her off and sent her on some message ; when she returned she finished her meal, but in the course of an hour op two she was writhing in most violent agony. In the height of her sufferings ■he reminded her mother and the friends who had gathered round her of what had transpired in tl\e morning. Her shrieks of pain grew louder and louder, and when they were silenced she was unconscious. Before midnight she was a corpse. The stepfather was, of course, marked out as the murderer; the evidence to be produced against him seemed incontestible; th& old man had actually been seen gathering leaves and tubers in the forenoon, which he had afterward bpiled in his own courtyard. The accused, however, was one of Molema’s adherents ; he had served him faithfully for half a century, and Molema accordingly felt it his duty to do everything in his power to protect him, so he sent over Moshaneng for Montsua to come and take the office of judge at the trial. He was in the midst of the inquiry when I arrived. Meanwhile, the defendant had complete liberty; he might for the time be shunned by the population, but he walked about the streets as usual, trusting thoroughly to Molema’s clemency and influence, and certain that he should be able to buy himself off with a few bullocks. The trial lasted two days; after each sitting the court was entertained ’with bochabe, a sort of meal-pap. The evidence was conclusive; the verdict of “guilty” was unanimous. Montsua said he should have been bound to pass a sentence of death, but Molema had assured him there were many extenuating circumstances ; and taking nil things into account, he considered it best to leave the actual sentence in his hands. Molema told the convicted man to keep out of the way for a few days until Montsua ceased to think about the matter, and then sending for him, as he strolled about, passed the judgment that he should forfeit a cow as a peaceoffering to the deceased girl’s next of kin, the next of kin in this case being his wife and himself.