The Official Murder.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5427, 30 November 1895, Page 6

The Official Murder.

The later accounts of the* ciroumstances surrounding the execution ot Mr Stokes, the English ivory trader, by Captain Lothaire, explain some of tha references that have been made to the incident in our cable messages during the past few days. From the details supplied to the Pall Mall Gazette by Dr Michaux, it appears that on hiß way up to Lake Albert Captain Lothaire issued to a Lieiitenant Henri a warrant for the arrest of Stokes, and this having been executed, Stokeß was sent down the line to Lothairefe camp under escort. There he was" treated as a prisoner, and the following morning brought up before Lothaire. This man sat as sole judge, having the assistance of nobody to form a courtmartial, while Dr Michaux acted merely as interpreter. Some "witnesses," proVably slave-raiding Arabs, who had in their possession Snider and Mauser rifles, and had poißibly got them from Stokes's plundered caravan, stated that they had purchased them from Stokes. This was enough. Lothaire, who had "alone tried him and judged him," now "sentenced him" to death. Dr Michaux interceded in vain, both . previous to and after a request from Stokes. He suggested that the Englishman should bs sent down to Boma, the capital of the Congo State, as the Code provides. He aßked for a few days' reprieve. He desired to consult the Code, and found Lothaire had no copy, and was law unto himself. Night came on and they slept* Stokes, before five in the morning,, was led out to execution ere the dootor woke, Lothaire being apparently both judge and executioner and sexton. A missionary,' who has jußt returned to England from the Upper Congo, where ha has bees working for fourteen years, when asked by a representative of Reuter's Agenoyy about the exeoution of Stokes, eaid-W " I know, nothing personally ot that incident. I heard of it on my way down the river— that is all. I do know Captain Lothaire, however, and therefore waß not surprised. The following is a specimen ofi his actions. Some four years ago he arrived with some blaok troops at a point opposite the mission station of Lulongo. Finding the natives had fled on hearing ofi hia approach, he pitched hia camp on au island facing the station, and sent over to the missionary asking him to, use his influence to get the natives back and promising a three days truce in order to hold a palaver. The missionary supposing he was dealing with an officer and a gentleman, induced the natives to ooms into the station. As soon as they did ■&' Lothaire and his men opened fire on them and killed a number." This shows clearly, enough the brutal nature>6t the Belgian officer, and it ia to be hoped that Lord Salisbury will exact adequate satisfaction for the cold-blooded murder of the English trader. The matter cannot be settled by the payment of a fine and the military degradation of the murderer.