G 117 20 
Anlage I. 
. Siehren TeeceAugust 23rd 1895. 
My dear Count. 
Sir Ashmed Barttlett I was told was going 
to ask a qduestion in the House of Commons 
about the execution of Stokes — and fearing 
Popular excitement outside in the press rising 
abut of the bald question I drew up one 
which 1 intended to ask to countdèract the 
eflect. 
It was too long however, and the speaker 
would not let me finish it. But I have spoken 
to at least 60 members, and they quite under- 
stand how the rash and misguided fellom met 
his fate. The general opinion is that he 
deserved it, though people would have 
Preferred to hear that some other punishment 
had been given him. 
ours faithfully 
(s.) Henry M. Stanley. 
To 
Mons. le Comte Borchgrave etc. etc. 
Question. 
May I1 ask the Rti Honourable Gentleman 
before he replies to the question whether he 
is aware that this Stokes said to have been 
executed by Major Lothaire is the well known 
Charlie Stokes who since 1879 has been a 
trader in East Central Africa, that he was a 
Protestant Irishman from the North of 
Ireland, that he first went out to Africa as a 
missionary in the service of the Church 
Missionary Soeiety, that he afkfterwards 
distinguished himself by his trading enter- 
Pbrise and vast influence he exereised among 
the natives, that he was the man established 
Uwanga on the thronc of Uganda, and that 
despite friendly advice and warning he 
slipped between the British and German 
Protectorates into the Congo State, and there 
contrary to the acts and regulations of the 
Brussels Conference proceeded to dispose of 
arms and ammunition to the notorious slave 
raider Kibonge and while vending these arms 
he was arrested with Kibonge, and after trial- 
by court martial was cxeeutell. 
Anlage II. 
2. Richmond Terracc, 
Whitechall, S. W. 
Sire, 
I write this letter to Fou 
cover to Comt Van der Steen7). 
August 29th 1895. 
direct under 
*) Privatsekretär des Königs. 
  
I havc seen Sir Clement Hill of the 
Foreign Office and I gathered from him about 
as friendly a view of the Stokes affair as you 
could wish. But outside of the officials and 
Parliament there is great dissatisfaction, and 
the trouble appears to be growing. One 
newspaper after another is joining in the line 
and ery, Radicals as well as Unionists, and 
unless Lothaire has a strong case, 1 fear 
things will become decidedl) unpleasant. If 
the courtmartial found Stokes guilty of 
violence besides trading in arms and 
munitions with Kibonge, and others à 
majority of the people here will rest satisfied 
that Stokes received only his deserts, but 
unless it can be proved that he did something 
more than merely trade, 1 fear that the Congo 
State will have to pay handsomely) to the 
family of Stokes, besides suffer humiliation. 
Dr. Michaux's evidence of the last scenes is 
to be specially dreaded. He has in his power 
to blow the now scumming indignation into 
a flame. I hope he will not be so unpatriotic 
as to drawm more evils on Belgium and the 
Congo State bPF intensifying this affair which 
he can ensily do. There is no doubt that the 
Dr. Michaux has some other animus against 
Lothaire than horror at the poor man's fate, 
but this is not the time to revenge himself. I 
feel myself that the Major has committed a 
great error of jdudgment but it would be unjust 
to visit upon him an excess of anger for what 
after all was only an excess of zeal. Having 
seen what he must have seen on the way to 
the Albert Edward region there is a great 
deal to be said for his passionate hate and 
hasty action, but l sincerely hope that the 
finding of the courtmartial will be such as to 
cg#eulpate Major Lothaire from the charge of 
murder which the Radical journalists over 
here are endeavoring to fix upon him. On 
the side of Stokes also there is much to be 
said. He was a rash, barebrained fellow, but 
Was not without his good qualities. When a 
man dies, his bad qualities are forgotten, and 
only the gocd that he did is remembered. 
The tendeney is therefore to make Stokes a 
kind of martyr to trade, and if this feeling 
increases in this country neither the State nor 
Lothaire ean escape serious consequences. 
Thenee I hope that Lothaire and his 
officers have some substantial charges to 
justify them in visiting upon a British sub- 
ject the extreme penalty. 
Meantime if Sire — Fou are not certain 
that Lothaire can be esonerated from the 
more serious charge — I think — that if vou