Show CANNIBALS IN CONGO FREE missionary who saw humai bodi carved idle Innab nants of tnt put 10 ded h and women held in pen fourteen villages destroyed ai the inhabitants killed now york jan 5 A special to the times from nashville tenn says the southern presbyterian board of missions in this city received letters coday from the rev L C vass and the rev H P hawking missionaries of the church stationed at luebe congo free state africa giving accounts of he burning of fourteen villages and the killing of ninety or more natives by state troops they report that some of the victims eaten by cannibals and that the bodies of all who were slain were mutilated their heads having been cut off sir vass was formerly of new bern N C and has been engaged in mission work at lubbo since february 18 mr hawkins was formerly of vicksburg miss mr vass states that tidings ot raiding by the zaps in the bena kamba country having reached them and the work of the missionaries being threatened rev W H sheppard was sent to make an investigation he went to the zaps camp and found that fourteen villages had been destroyed by fire and plundered ho saw 47 bodies lying around the camp from three bodies the flesh had been carved and eaten the chief said that 80 or 90 had been killed and five persons eaten by his people mr sheppard saw 81 right hands cut off and drying over a slow firo in order to be afterward taken back to the state officers sixty women prisoners were confined in a pen and sixteen men had already been sent away prisoners it Is said the raid was ordered because the people could not pay the exorbitant tribute demanded by the state the missionaries state that they reported the matter to the proper officials and demanded the withdrawal of the troops and that the chief instituted a counter prosecution on account of the charges made the missionaries further say the zaps arc a tribe kept by the state tor its protection they are sent out to collect rubber ivory slaves and goats as tribute from the people and can then plunder burn and kill tor their own amusement and gain the missionaries say they are collecting evidence about the massacre and will send it to boma and to europe mr vass says the whole country is plagued and not a village left standing the people are in the bush tonight in a radius of about 75 miles there are possibly over people sleeping in the bush unsheltered and we are in the midst of a rainy season the state is a terror to every one |