Democratic Sentinel, Volume 14, Number 43, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 November 1890 — STANLEYS SIDE OF IT. [ARTICLE]

STANLEYS SIDE OF IT.

THE AFRICAN EXPLORER TELLS HIS STORY. Major Bartt"lot’i Charge* Against Hun Amnered and the Horror* Hinted At by the Explorer Fully Explained—The Story of the Fated Bear Column—The Cannibal Incident. [New York dispatch.] Henry M. Stanley was seen by a correspondent at the Evere’t House, in this city, this afternoon, and from-2 until 5 o'clock he told the story of tne inner history of the ill-fated rear column, wnich story Mr. Stanley gave in the form of a personal statement, personally signed. Mr. Stanley said: “You must expect such attacks as have been made on me and many more, because I know from conversations I have had with the surviving officers that many of them are very sore. Mr. Barttelott’s book begins in this way, and it is no different to what others say. On page 2, introductory chapter. ‘Life and Diaries of Ma’or laittelot.’ M alter Bartt’ilot says: ‘Mr. Stanley has said that the rear column was wrecked by the irresolution of its officers, neglect of promises, and indifference to written orders. To a soldier of the Queen and a gentleman, this is a serlbus accusation and should not be allowed to pass.’ It is on that the book turn*; that is the reason for the book’s existence. That sentence. which Mr. Barttelot finds fault with, was written in August, 1888, two days after meeting Mr. Bonny and the emaciated remnant of the rear column, when I found 102 pien alive out of 271, and only one Jiving English officer ont of five. On learning then the details o’ what had transpired. I wrote that the irresolution of the officers, neglect of their promisee, and indifference to the written order caused this awful collapse. “You ask me to justify that censure which has been the cause of Barttelot’s book. “It is a very serious business, although I can quite understand that people should be answered. as I now propose io answer, in order to de'ermine the truth. It is absolutely immaterial to me what view the people take of this censure, as I had enlisted nil these men as my officers, and it was only to me they owed loyalty and obedience according to their contracts. I am a’one justified in reserving the right to condemn or to award praise. At the same time, everybody is at liberty to express his or her views on this conduct, but no one could possibly have the same interest as 1 have to forget a great many offenses and gloss over many things in order to avoid scandal. Probably the best way in order to satisfy any legitimate interest in this question would be to tell the story of the rear column as I heard it at Yambuya and then the public may understand the shocking effect it had on me when hastening to their relief I was met by this awful revelation. “First, as to Major Barttelot himself. In this book, his diaries, on page 169, you will find the following entry by Mr. Baritelot: ‘Bonny and I talked about our probable action in the event of Stanley doing certain tilings. I expressed mvs df openly.’ On page 170, under date of Dec. 6, Mr. Barttelot states: ‘After dinner Bonny and I walked again and referred to our conversation of Nov. 24. I made a determination never to partake of Stanley’s hospitality while out here, as we have a private medicine chest. Jameson, in reference to our conversation of Nov. 24, expressed his determination to act as I should and also refuse Stanley’s hospitality.’ Wondering what all this meant I asked Mr. Bonny to be frank and sav what it all meant He replied: ‘Well, sir, Ma or Barttelot asked me : “Don’t you think Stanley is a Pritchard—a poisoner,” and added that he had heard that one of your ways was to leave Africa alone, so that no one would know what hud transpired, and he had heard the story of your leaving an officer in some part of Africa and never going back for him.’

“This gives a little insight into the feeling of Maior Barttelot andlof Mr. Jameson’s clear comprehension of -what had been hinted at. It seems they had picked up a skit from one of the irresponsible newspapers, saying it was odd Stanley never returned from Africa except alone. I am told Major Barttelot had expressed great curiosity to learn the probable effect of a dose of cyanide of potassium, and at one time was caught testing it on his tongue in order to ascertain whether its taste would be likely to be detected in a cup of coffee. 1 was told that the person for whom this dose was intended was Salim de Mohammed, the nephew of Tippu Tib. I was told also that Major Barttelot's life was twice saved by Mr. Bonny. Once because Major Barttelot had suddenly seized a woman, who was passing near him, and buried his tee .h deep in her shoulder. 1 was told, also, that frequently Major Barttelot would cause his black followrrs to shrink bffore him by staudtng in their path, in front of the advancing natives, and grinning like a fiend—that is the expression that was used in describing it to me —wnile he would at the same moment brandish a long cypress staff that had upon it a sharp steel point. He was reported to mo to be often running about the camp, prodding his people and then flourishing his stick and hitting indiscriminately without any apparent cause. A Manyama chief complained to me that ho had been prodded seventeen times in one day with this steel-pointed slats, and that was two days before Ma). Barttelot was killed bv Sanga. the little boy Sondi, whose death I have recorded in Tn Darkest Africa,’ was a little fellow of 10 years. Maj. Barttelot refers to him in a general way as a clever little fellow. 1 have described him in my book as a wise-headed little fellow. Well. Maj. Barttelot was irritated at this little boy one morning and kicked him, and from the effects of that kick the boy died. John Henry, a mission lad, was flogged with 300 lashes and died very soon afier receiving them. “A Soudanese soldier was placed on guard while suffering the torments of hunger, and he stole a piece of the meat of a goat, for'wliich be was flogged 153 lashes. He was sentenced to receive 300. but ns he could not stand that at one time they left off at 1 0 for him to recover, with the threat that he would receive the other 150 as soon as he was in a fit condition. Meantime he was put under guard. One night he broke away, took his rifle, and ran into the bush. Search was made, and the next day or two he was caught, tried, and nt.-need to be shot, and the sentence was duly carried into execution. “There was scarcely one among the Zanzibtrswhohod not been n victim of this system of remorseless punishment They bore their wounds on baric and on limbs, and, of course, as Major Bantelot had sent the medicines away down the river—two full cases—the means to alleviate them w.as wanting. For the want of these medicines many of the men died. Major Barttelot told Mr. Bonny, I am informed, that he recommended his brother Walter to look after Mr. Troup on his arrival in England, in order that Mr. Troup might not be tempted to disclose wbat was going on at Yambuya with the rear column. lam told that when the deserters from the advance column reached Yambuya and told Major Barttelot the graphic tale of my being killed by seventeen arrows, he exclaimed : -Thank God, I shall be made Colonel now.’ That statement has been sworn to by a person who heard it in the presence of witnesses. “Soon after this Major Barttelot declared that he had a project to undertake in connection with Mr. Jameson to pay for the goods under his charge and t end the other three officers home, and s;art them on an expedition of his own. But he was kind enough, I am told, to tell Mr. Bonny confidentially that if he cared to join him and Mr. Jameson he might, and the other two fellows could shift for themselves, meaning Mr. Ward and Mr. Troup. Another project was that Major Barttelot proposed to leave the surplus goods at S'an lev Falls in charge of Mr. Troup, while he (Major Barttelot) and Mr. Jameson started on their own hook to explore. “I am told that Mr. Troup applied to Major Barttelot for medicine while he was ill. and Barttelot refused to give it to him. I also heard there were frequent quarrels among the officers in the camp, and upon one occasion, on account of a protest from Mr. Bonny, Major Barttelot ordered a guard of Soudanese to arrest him. In the log-book signed by Major Barttelot and Mr. Jameson there is one record after another, in each day's entry, how people were ill-treated by flogging going on day after day without anv intermission. He bought four slave chains from Tippu Tib for, I believe, £4B, in order to put these people in chains. It is said that Major Barttelot confessed to Mr. Bonny that if many of the things dohe at Yumbuya were known in England he would be instantly dismissed from the service. Upon which, it fs said, Mr. Bonny asked why did he commit these things, since he knew they would disgrace him in the eyes of “Now, coming to the day of the tragedy, Major Barttelot, during the hours that intervened between July 17 and tne morning of the 19th, had kept the camp in a state of uproar. Things had been going on pretty well during his absence at Stanley Falls, but whatever gcod feeling existed before his arrival was completely dissipated by his return. He first fostered a, quanel on the Arab who owned the station of Benalva and demanded sixtv slaves from the Arabs. I have reiected that word and put carriers in the log-book. The Arab complained that on account of such a large party of whites having come the natives had become frightened and had all run away and could not be induced to stay in the neighborhood. It was therefore impossible to catch any slaves but Major Barttelot was inexorable, and insisted on a supply being given to him. On the morning of the 19th, at dawn, he drumming and singing, and sent some Soudanese soldiers to B t‘ p u - As thlß no effect, he sent ms little boy. Still no use, and finally he want

himself, taking with him his loaded revolver and that cypress staff with a steel point which* had already made sueh mischief, and with these weapons in his hands he walked, to the scene of the ringing. There he saw a woman beating adrum, accompanying it with her voice, as is the usua’ custom with the Manyemas at the dawn °‘,J h 9 which ’key always open with wild music. Major Barttelot, on Hewing the woman so engaged, ordered her to desist two or three times, accompanying each order with a prod of his steel-pointed staff then with a blow of the staff, and finally he began to kick her. Attracted by the woman’s shrieks her husband, Sanga. seeing Barttelot with a revolver in his hand, thrust his gun through the-loop-hole of a hut opnosite to where this was. taking place and shot Barttelot dead Jameson then went to Stanley Faile, where Sanga asproved to have killed Major Barttelot, and waa consequently sentenced to death. If Sanga had been brought before me, and if the story as reported to me personally and in writing was. shown to be true, I should have acquitted him, Suppose such an incident occurred id tha streets. . p.f any civilized city, would not any jury haveacquitted the husband who thus killed the assailant of his wile? “Since I have censured the whole, it is perhaps necessary if the foregoing does mt contain a sufficient explanation for me to say whyI censured them. It must be understood that ■ any one of these officers with a little firmness, could have arrested Major Barttelot’s proceedings without violence. A mere letter from any one of them protesting against such acts, and threatening to report the circumstance to'.he committee at home, would have stopped it It has been clearly shown from many accounts. ?. Ten .u ¥ rT *”’P a own narrative shows, it, that they disagreed with many things. Major Barttelot did, and it is probably true that they protested by word of mouth, but no amount of verbal protests would have the same effect as a written arraignment of these tyrannical proceedings. lam sure had Major Barttelot received such a letter he would never havedared to repeat them. Hence, as this was not. done— because I haxe never seen such written protest—l must needs censure their conduct for not doing the utmost thev could in order to stop them, inasmuch as each had declared his Intention to be loyal and obedient and think of the interests of the expedition. I will leave this to the judgment of every reader. “Assuming the facts uro as they are stated in the foregoing, can any man conscientiously say that my censure of the rear column was harsh or unjust, or undeserved, when I state this after heading all these horrible things, and after seeing the effects of those acts on the rear column —when I said, two da vs after being brought face to face with this misery, that the rear col- ' umn was wrecked by the irresolution of its officers, the neglect of their promises and their indifference to written orders?”

“Starvation and continued ill-treatment, caused the condition of the men to which I have referred, and produced the ulc rs which, ate away the flesh so that their bones were almost exposed. Their backs were entirely gone. They were unable to stand, and still rhe’y werepunished day after day. There is the log book, as it was given to me, with day after day theaccounts of the most horrible punishments. The records are signed by all the officers. They aid not appreciate the amount of it-, makingthe daily entries, but as I read it over, all together, th< T 3 it stares me in the faoe—a record of evils and a continuous story of horrors. “The reason why I was absent from the campfor fourteen months instead of five, as I expected, was this: I left Yambuya on June 28and arrived at Albert Nycmza on Dec. 13, 1887. Then I returned, siuce there was no news of Emin, a distance of 130 miles, where I built a fort, housed the sick, stored the goods and returned to the Albert NVanza. I Arrived there in April, 1838, and stayed there twenty-six days having found Emin. Then I started to hunt for the rear column, and found it only ninety miles from Yambuya. Emin’s own letters, published in‘ln Darkest Africa,’explain how he came tomy camp, and that he was not taken prisoner by me. as has been charged. “As to this story about Mr. Jameson. A witness to the incident, a man, drew up in his own handwriting an affidavit, wherein he swears in the presence of witnesses to the following: story: That Jameson, returning from Kasongo and conversing with Tippu Tib and another Arab about cannibalism, informed them that hedid not believe there was any such thing as. cannibalism, because, although he had heard much of it, he had never seen it, and no white mau had ever seen it done. In reply to this Tippu Tib is said to have said: 'lt is easy enough to prove it if you like.’ Upon which. Jamesonjisked how, ana Tippu Tib responded: ‘Pay for a slave and give it to those men. there. They will show you.’ Whereupon Mr. Jameson said he was very willing. Txvelvecotton handkerchiefs were then given, and with thorn a little girl aged some ton or twelve years was purchased. She was given to the men, and Mr. Jameson is said to have then told them : •Now let us see what you can do.’ Tho child, was tied so she could not move. Mr. Jameson took a sketch-book in hand, and when he was ready a knife was plunged into the child ’s heart,, and Mr. Jameson is said to nave stood there while the life blood spurted over the body. Heis said to have made six sketches descriptive of the various scenes that took place, the cutting’ up and the disposing of the body. “This appeared so itcredible at first that when, we expressed doubts a European came iorward and said he had seen the sketches. Another European, upon being asked what he knew of it, said Jameson showed the sketches to him also. This was reported to the authorities of the Congo Free State and they took evidenceregarding it." Mr. Stanley concluded by saying: “If necessary I shall be glad to go into a court of law where the whole matter can be ventilated.”