Show I An African Execution Mr E Glave who was one of Stanleys pioneer olllcer contributes tributes I to the April Century a profusely pro-fusely illustrated article ou r Slave Trade In the Congo Basin the result of his observations during a residence of twenty mouths among the savage DUn of Central Africa Of an execution of nhith he was a witness Mr Glove rays In till parthular instance the mother of a chief halo died It was decided as usual to celebrate the event with an execution At the earliest streak of dawn the slow measured lot of a big drum announces an-nounces t all what Iota take place and warns the poor slave w ho Is to be tIes victim I I that his cud Is nigh a C I The executioner aslstanl having selected a suitable place for the ceremony procure a block of wood about a foot square The LeI ho Le-i then placed on this in a sitting posture his legs are ttrctclied out trahhitin frontoiiim the body is strapped It a stake retching up tieback I tie-back to tbeFhouJtJ On earl Bide stakes arc placed under thy armpits as prop to which thearnisare firmly firm-ly bounJ other lashings are made to posts driven into the ground near tie ankles and knees 7rrd A pole is now planted about ten feet in fiont of tho victim from the top of which Is tupended ih a number strings a bamboo rug The pole is I bent over liken flailing rod and the rIng Listened round the slaves neck w hicli U kept rigid and stiff by the tension During this preparation a croup of dancers surround round the victim and Indulge in drunken mimicry of contortIons off which the lain caused by this cruel torture forces him t show But he hl uo sympathy t expect from this merciless horde c Presently in the distance Pnnty dlbnr approaches ap-proaches a company of two lines np young people each holding a stem nf the palm tree so that an arch is tn farmed between them under which I the executioner is escorted The whole procession moves with a slow but dancing pit Upon arriving near the doomed lave all dancing singing and drumming cease and the drunken mob take their places to witness the last act of the drama An unearthly silence succeeds The executioner wears a cap composed com-posed of black cocks feathers his face and neck are blackened with charcoal except the eyes the lids of which a jiaiuled with white hall The hands and arm to the elbow and feet and legs tothe knee II are nk Mackeintl His legs are adorned profusely with broad metal anklet aud around his waist a strung wildcat skin As he performs per-forms a wild dance around his victim vic-tim every uow and then making a felntwitb Hi fw tn murmur of admiration arises from tho assembled assem-bled crowd He then approaches and makes a thin chalk mark on the neck of the fated man After two or three passes of the knife tot to-t tha right swing he delivers the fatal blow and with one stroke of his ken edged tvtapou levers the head from the ody |