MURDER OF TWO WIVES BY AN ARAB.

Otago Witness, Issue 697, 8 April 1865, Page 3

MURDER OF TWO WIVES BY AN ARAB.

A singular trial recently took place before a council of war at Constantine, in Algeria, a man having to answer to the charge of murdering his two wives. The evidence revealed many curious traits of Arab life, and showed how the natives understand and apply their rights as husbands, and how they punish adulterous wives. Ali-ben-Tabar, of the Mzeloux tribe, had two consorts, Fatma-ben-el-Ady-Belkassen and Couika-beu-Lakden-ben-Kipuf. Both were remarkably beautiful, and on this account their husband had paid considerable sums of mone} r for them. Ali-ben-Tabar was sleeping under his tent, and on awaking and casting a giance around he was astonished at not seeing his wives reposing on their mats at his side. He left the tent and carefully inspected the vicinity of his dwelling. At a short distance, under a clump of trees, he fancied he heard a sound of voices. He advanced slowly, like a leopard about to seize his prey, but at this moment some clouds which had obscured the moon passed away, and as the flood of pale light suddenly shed upon the earth revealed his form, two men instantly ran from under the trees and took flight. The distance was too great to allow Tabar to overtake them, and besides this his immediate object was to know if his two wives, or one of there, had been false to him. He soon reached the trees, when two women flew towards his tent. The fugitives were Belkassen and Kipuf. The Arab quickly appeared before them, and instautly they were ordered to fall on their knees. Tee mandate was immediately obeyed, but their prayers and supplications met but with one response — " Their names ! " Tears and sobs were redoubled, but Tabar reiterated in a stern voice his demand to know who were the men who had taken to flight on his approach. Receiving no reply, he seized a stout stick, and ceased not to shower blows upon the faithless women till he knew that they were dead. Two other women, relatives of Tabar, attracted by the shrieks for mercy, quitted their tents and became spectators of the tragic scene ; but whether it was that they considered the husband to be taking lawful vengeance, or whether they feared his rage would cause him to turn upon them, they remained silent and motionless. At daybreak Tabar left his tent and presented himself before the officer in charge of the Arab bureau, to whom he said, " I have killed my two wives ! I have avenged my outraged honour!" and this avowal he repeated when examined in the preliminary stages of the judicial inquiry. At the trial eight witnesses proved the facts, and two of them, called at the request of the father of one of the women, stated that the cause

of the quarrel which had arisen between the accused and his victims was idleness on their part. The interpreter to the council observed that this assertion might very properly be doubted, as the father would have a double motive ia inducing the court to believe in the truth of his witnesses' statements, for, if relied on, the stain of dishonor would not attach to the memory of his daughter, and, in addition, he would be entitled to recover damages against the husband. Tabar, ia his examination, said : "I purchased these two women for 600 douros, and by killing them I have lost that amount. If I had considered my money before my honor I should have let them live." The judge of the tribunal urged that the penal law should be carried out, admitting, however, that the council might take into consideration the excuse of the accused founded on. the flagrant crime of adultery; but the council, taking into consideration the facts and circumstances and the outrage done to the husband, pronouncod a sentence of acquittal.