THE VOULET-CHANOINE TRAGEDY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXI, Issue 292, 8 December 1900, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE VOULET-CHANOINE TRAGEDY.

OFFICERS SHOT LIKE MAD DOGS BY

THEIR OW.\ MEN

The diary of the late Captain Palller, a member of the ill-fated Youlet-Chanolne column, which has just been published by his relatives, gives details of the deaths of the two officers who, led .by mad ambition, proposed to set up an independent state for themselves in West Africa. It av-111 be remembered that the colonel who followed the column to bring it back to its allegiance was shot dowu by the orders of Youlet and Chanoine. Directly after the murder Lieut. Palller announced his intention to sever all connection Avith the Voulot-Cha-noine column, and after some hesitation all the European commissioned and non-com-missioned officers threw iv. their lot with him. The two murderers were left with a small Iroop of native riflemen. Disaffection, however, soon spread among the latter when they realised from a speech made by Youlet expounding his plans for founding an Independent state further up country tbat they would never be able to return to their villages in Senegal If they followed him. During the night the entire troop s"'ently stole away from Vo-let's camp and set out to join the Palller column. Chanoine was the first to discover that ho and Voulet had been deserted. lie mounted and galloped furiously after the retreating men. and on coming up with the parly discharged Ida revolver at them. The reply was a volley, which killed Chanoine on the spot. The following ulght Youlet, now left absolutely alone to his fate, spent in a native village near to the camp formed by the men who hail abandoned him. Like Chanoine, he determined In desperation the next day to rule after the eo-lunul. (jn reaching the camp he was challenged by a sentinel. With an oath he lired Ids revolver at the trooper, but missed, and was shot down immediately. The native troops eventually came up with the main column, which Lieutenant I-allier brought back to Senegal; Paliier himself died of yellow fever at Saint Louis on the Senegal coast, when on his way back

lo'Eranet