A Dastardly Deed.

Southland Times, Issue 8091, 20 August 1885, Page 2

A Dastardly Deed.

It seems (say 6 the Paris Matta) that the G rman frigate Bismarck, which is at the present moment cruising along the East - Coast of Africa, under the command of Admiral Knorr, has just marked by a murder its sojourn at Libreville, the chief of our establishments. A petty officer and sereral sailors of the Bismarck, hariag gone on shore, endeavoured to outrage a. young woman who had attracted their attention, and when her husband int^rfered in Lor defence cruelly murdered the man. The corpse wasfonnd lying in the road covered with wounds, and an Jnqairy having teen instituted into the affair, - the crew of the Bismarck were suspected of having had a hand therein. A minor official having gone on board the ship, no attempt was made by the Germans to conceal their offence. But matters assumed a different complexion when tbe Governor of the Gaboon proceeded in person to tbe Bismarck to demand the surrender of tho murderers to the French- .authorities. Admiral Know then contended that . they had acted is Belf-defence, although no excuse of the kind had been given before, prevailed on tbe sailors to withdraw their confessions, and finally met thetejfterated demandipf the Governor with a peremptory refusal; The same evening an offiber belonging to tie Bismarck, Qafied secretly at the dead|man's house and -bribed his relatives, tly the payment of to withdrwi their oomplainr. colony earnestly hopes that : tbe affair will not end -here. Our national honour *is^ coacetned^^eao <^mnt given by.: the Matin i» supported, in al| its essential detaili i>y" tbe TewpB r

murder having got abrotd,Captain Cornut GentH, of the French navy, opened an inquiry, arid asked the commander of th<> . Bismarck whether he knew anything of iC Oo receiving an affirmative reply, Captain Comut-Gentil proceeded" in full i«a)fbrtn to tho, Bismarck and askci A<imicaL Knorr to give up the murderers tv the French authorities. The Admiral, decUring'that the- homicide had been justifi•ble^flatly refused to do 00. But the Tempa Fays that the fact that a German ottwsr'gave L2O- to the dead manVfaraily to .tuißh up the nfEair proves that the sailors were the aggressors..