BU HAMARA SHOT.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 616, 20 September 1909, Page 7

BU HAMARA SHOT.

MULAI HAFID'S RAGE. BAULKED IN HIS TORTURE PLANS. IMMEDIATE EXECUTION. (B> *.le B r»l)il.-ITM. A.snclollnn.-ODDjrlßhl.l (Rec. September 19, CO p.m.) London, September 18. French adwecs from Fez, state that tho Sultan, Jfulai Hafid, was so enraged after rccouingtho foreign Consuls' representations protesting against tho torturcß practised on captives that he ordered tho immediate execution of tho captured Pretender, Bu Hamava. Tlio Pretender was shot ia tho presence of tho. imperial harem. SULTAN ON HIS YELLOW SOFA VIEWS THE TORTURES. REMARKABLE PEN-PICTURE OF HIS COURT. . .

,-The elaborate pruelties of Mulai HaHd are winning him a reputation that, will compare } n ,,?uality, if not in volume, with those of Abdul .the Damned." .Perhaps tho parallel may ere long be rendered more complete bv the compulsory retirement of Mulai to the eamo secluaipn as haa overtaken Abdul Hainid. Unfortunately/an Morocco Muloi Hafid does not: stand alone in respect of revolting cruelties. Bα Hamara himself has a few remarkable performances of that sort to his discredit, and his execution by shooting is an easier death tnnn some he haa inflicted on others. Bu Hamara and the Sea!ed,-up "Spirit."' Bu Hamara came into prominence asaMoor,ish pretender about 1902. Ho had several successes against the troops of the" then Sultan, Abdul Aziz, and maintained his independence against;aU tho efforts of tho Slnghzen. In order to'lead otters to sanction .his movement he had recourse'to spirits. He induced a devotpd follower to enter the tomb of a noted saint;: the only comuiiinication with the surface being-an iron tube. 'Through this tube the, follower, personating the saint, proclaimed that.Bu Hamara was the elect of heaven, and that all menlehould himi When •manywitnesses had heard tho voice of the "spirit* , Bu .Hamara,' to prevent inconvenient revelations, dosed: the mouth of'.the: tube; and, alilowed his follower to die of suffocation in tho tomb.*.. . ■ , . ' ■ 'r ".'. . .■■ ■ .■, |. t Othor accounts state,that Bu Hamara'was a. young man, who spent some time in Algiers, where ho picked up a'csrtain knowledge of the world. Returning..to Morocco, he travelled about; tho country, performing a few simple .conjuring tricks. These wore,regarded by the Moors-,as miraoulcras, and Bu Hamnra' conceived the ■• idea of starting ,ts, religions' rising,' stirring up the fanatir.ism of the people against All, Western ideas. Several expeditions, were sent out against -him, but all.were' unsuccessful, and; for a time the Pretender exercised quite as much influence over. the tribesmen as, did the Sultan. Of late, years, however, his influence has been deelininff. It is related •that >v _with a view.of terrorising his enemies, ;Bu'. Hamara. caused seven- prisoners to be thrown into Ihe sea in,sacks,.with their-heads exposed. > The;prisoners were shot while they wore drowhinß. :■ ■ \ ■: :-■..■' '

■When BuHamara, enclosed in an iron-cage mounted on the back of a camel, ; made his ■entry-.into Fez, the; populace jeered at him, and he,boldly insulted-them in return. The cage was' deposited in tho courtyard of the royal palace, and the Sultan ' interviewed his prisoner , through the bars. Bu Hamara main- : tamed a. dignified demeanour,'and-declined to : .speak.unless he was gken new plothing and' permitted to;rest. His.request, we'were told, .was.granted.'. . ..'.,'.-. ..,. : .'.'., ;,., .'r.,',....-, : ,.',.,.., ■ tortures ■ Described.'* j';"'-'\ ■■'■'■'■■}',\V'darker side' of. life W the "Sultan Mulnli Hand s court is CTaphically■■. presented iii' an article. in. the July number of ; tho ."National: Review.", Tho; writer, after referring to. the. renval. of the pclsonicup, under the fanatical and cruel ;Mulni Hafid, and to tho rumoured fate of Ben Slimsin.n former IForeign Minister..,who,enmo to' Sea to lpok-Jor employment, and of Mulai IFoKammediproooeds to describe -sojne, of .the tortures.'■■■:-; 'v ■ ~ ','Of the followers.of Mulni Mohammed,"'he ,? r . l H9,.4wmp i |jye,rß;.impris fi ne4-,.ttnd.others put to the.'torturc. . Sad;Avas.the.fat<s' of a looaV preacher who had ■ the audacity and indiscretion to ..write.., in .his favour.: , ;On6 fine day, asi the .troops .were ljeing ,drilled,Und thobahda were '■ playing, and. the ■ consuls) and vieitprs were awaiting their audiences, the propagandist was brought up for. trial and for punishment. ■;' Hand, wishing, to ; share' the; responsibility with the' , proper authorities, handed him, over to the. Ouelama' or Sacred College, who, 1 being very 'much afraid of the Sultan, were notlong in giving judgment. The unfortunate man was. sentenced to: havo the palms' of .his hands 'cut. open, .filled A with salt,,..'' and -his denohed. fist sewn up •in leather gloves, ■: so that,' as the , wounds healed; ,thpy would grow together,- :■ V''., ■„ ■-- . .-.■•.- -..;: : ■.■■;: °y-.- .;■ ; ...

A Shambles.:'.-. '.■;■'.'■•.■ '..;. ::■:.[' '.;''.■'-. ,';['' /v.. ■ :],':'■ ',V."The'Sultan':..sits, cross-legged \-,oa a sofa; in .his green summer-house;;' ■• around him are ranged-the judges,':' who i: had', pronounced; sentence;'' on' the 'gronnd at ■ the' foot of : tho steps of -the .'suninior-house lies':the. preacher, who had been found guilty, held down by four "Kneeling over • the prostrate form ■, is the'executioner, with his.kmfe; an - assistant stands ready''with ,hia; bag of salt; and close at hand'is one'.of the most respected .saddlers in Fez, carrying a pieco of leather,, a needle and. thread, ready-to, the' offending ;hands. . Cries.of 'Ya Sidi, Ya §idi,'..como from miserable. wre.tches, who , aro.trying to attract the Sultan's attention; ■ >. ■ '■". ■ /"Seated up against the \ynll are 'the .Ministers,, i somo'.chatting, some writing,'other l peacefully asleep. ! The'troops fill the square, and.in half a; dozen, places'littlo groups'.of men, gathered round a prJSstrate form, are busy administorine the'morning's floggings.-" Mules'and horses gallop. , wildly 'about .the'square,'.and break in the ranks.V, ■ above tho , sound of the iloggings, the ones of.'the .victims,.-, and .tho shonts of 'Ya Sidi, Ya Sidi,' thero sounds in l cessantly the' discordant opening bars of 'Tho British Grenadiers,' 'The Cock of the North, , and.'lho'.Marseillaise.'"; ■■ ■ j ..: Mulai's Boiling Pitch. . ; : ; . , . i- Some of Bu Hamara's followers were treated toother''forms'-of torture. ■ 4-ccording to. tho "Standard's" correspondent -' at: Fez,. Mulai Hafid.'ordered that the right hand of each man and woman- should ,bo cut 'off, and the bleeding- stumps' plunged'into boiling pitch. •Two important prisoners were ordered, to lose their.right hands and right feet, and to hate the wholo of their teeth /drawn. Another correspondent declares . that bno prisoner was or■dered to have his lower-jaw shattered by a blow from a -.hammer; another: to' hare his eyes gouged'out.. .;'. >' • % >■ . .For ;Bu Haraara himself a 'special appliance in; the;..way-of a:-nail-liiied shirt was contomplated.. ii'rceetitXondon cablegram said: ,"It is stated; that,Sfulai.'Hafid,. with the .'view of .compelling ,Bu Hamara hand ■ over ■' any moneys■.-ivnich'.he;may have in foreign banks, proposes to: place' on ' him a wooden 'short' fitudded with' naili on the inside, and extort from him , a.'confession on the subject."' Apparently the protest of- the foreign consuls anticipated; this form of persuasion; whereupon the enraged Sultan had his.captive shot.