Best Governor & Sergeant

SPANISH-GUINEA

Best Governor & Sergeant

Spain's second largest colony is her extremely fertile Guinea, a realm roughly as large as Maryland on Africa's West Coast. Last week 140,000 Guineans (mostly black) were appalled by doings at a dance on the Island of Annobon.

Virtual king of this island, and its only white resident, was Sergeant Restitute Castilla of the Spanish Colonial Guards. Weeks ago the lordly Sergeant began great preparations to entertain the Governor General of all Spanish Guinea. Island blacks were drilled in a wild, weird dance for His Excellency's edification. Came at last the great day.

Santa Isabel on the Island of Fernando Po is the Guinean Capital. Starting out with his secretary and a small suite. Governor General Don Gustavo de Sostoa, a popular veteran of the Spanish colonial service in Morocco, had been inspecting small islands for days. He came at last to Annobon, wrung the trusty Sergeant's hand, sat down to a festive, tropical dinner and prepared to endure the native dance. Shrill native pipes squealed, drums throbbed. Black men began to dance and no one noticed white Sergeant Castilla.

Abruptly he drew his Spanish service pistol, shot the Governor General dead and ran off into the jungle.

Under the circumstances effective pursuit was impossible. The Governor General's secretary sternly ordered Annobon's blacks to capture their white Sergeant but they failed to do so last week. In Madrid native Delegates of Guinea rushed wailing to Spanish officials. "Alas for our beloved Don Gustavo!" they cried with every outward sign of grief. "He was the best Governor we ever had!"

Stiffly the Spanish Colonial Office announced: "There is considerable conjecture as to the motive. The Sergeant's record had been excellent."

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