4
The Green Bag
of American descent are estimated at some 12,000 in number. By their schools, and by the mastery which they have acquired over much of the coast lands, they have gradually added to their numbers, as the civilized citi zens of the modern state, some forty to fifty thousand Vai, Gora, Basa, Kru, and Grebo natives, who make common cause with the American negroes and mulattoes in their atti tude toward the natives of the interior. Some of the Kru tribes are still recalcitrant. But since the advent to power of President Bar clay, the influence of the Liberian govern ment at Monrovia extends very far inland, and is constantly being appealed to by native chiefs as an arbiter in the quarrels between tribe and tribe.* Some of the Kru tribes, which the foregoing writer speaks of as recalci trant, have curious customs which have been brought before the Supreme Court of Liberia on appeal from decisions of lower courts. In one case, a man had abducted another man's wife, and when in turn she left him for another husband, he was aggrieved because he could not collect the dowry he had been obliged to pay to her previous husband, in ac cordance with Kru custom. He was not so recalcitrant that he could not avail himself of his legal remedies in the Court of Monthly Sessions, where he won his action. The case was appealed, the facts, as summarized by the Supreme Court, be ing as follows: — Peter, alias Debbooh Wreh, plaintiff, now appellee, "pryed," that is, abducted (the word is Kru) one Tetee, the wife of Blackwill Sherman's son, which occasioned much dis satisfaction and trouble, to the extent that the town's people were two days deciding the matter, which they finally succeeded in doing by the plaintiff, now appellee, agreeing to pay the dowry money to Blackwell Sher man's son, according to the native or Kru custom when a man "pryes" another man's wife, which according to evidence he did. The woman Tetee then became the wife of •"The Future of Liberia," Oct. 11, 1906.
The Independent,
appellee. A short time subsequently, Yantee M'lanh (sister of Tetee) desired to go to the coast to see her mother, who was reported to be very sick; but appellee would not allow her to go at that time, so the question rested. A short time after, his wife Tetee left him and went to Manny Gofah (aunt of Tetee). Appel lee then agreed that his wife go to the coast to see her mother if Manny Gofah and Debbey (Yantee M'lanh) would become security for her return to him in one month and fifteen days' time. They, Manny Gofah and Debbey, bound themselves by a written instrument to appellee for the safe return of Tetee within the stipulated time. Being thus secured, appellee allowed his wife Tetee to go. But it appears that Tetee did not return at the stipulated time, but was away for six months. Before she returned, however, appellee him self went to the coast, and after his return home the bondsmen produced and delivered his wife Tetee to him and he received her; but in a day or two his wife told him that she was not his wife, and she did not wish to stay with him, for she had another husband.* On these facts the court below had given judgment in favor of Peter, to the effect that Tetee' s sister and aunt should produce her body within a month, each giving a bond of $100 for her safe pro duction; in default thereof, they should repay Peter his dowry money of £28. The Supreme Court, however, held that the judgment of the court below was not in accord with Kru customs respecting marriage. Peter was estopped from holding security against Manny Gofah and Debbey, because one of them delivered his wife to him on his return from the coast, and he did not then refuse to receive her and hold the bondsmen responsible for breach of the stipulation, as he might have done. Peter had lost his remedy of an action on the bond. Nor could he receive his dowry money from Tetee's relatives, in accordance with the native custom whereby the relatives to whom a wife runs away repay the dowry money given by the husband; for Tetee had left •Gofah el al. v. Wreh, p. 458.
