The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1874-09-10

/ H..
one was to be seen They had dropped
their loads and fled with the crowd
which still rushed past us in dismav
stumbling and rolling over the boos al
provisions. Anxious to get out of the
way OF the terror-stricken populace,
which came down upon us like an avail.
anche, we quickly mounted the eleva.
led platform of the nearest stall-a bar.
ber's shop, or rather a head.shaver's
establishment, for Moslems rarely. II
ever, shave their faces, but universally
their heads.
From the exalted position We now
occupied on the platform we had a good
view over the entire crowd, pushing ir-
resistibly on through the narrow street,
and soon discovered the cause of the
stampede in the shape of an athletic
man, of dark olive complexion. in q
state of absolute nudity, and apparent.
lly as slippery skinned as an eel, bound
ing towards us with the velocity of a
panther pouncing on its prey. An
ugly-looking Malay "creese (a dag
ger, at least fourteen inches in length.
with a sharply pointed flaming bladel
was tightly clutched in his right hand /,
giadlator-fashion, and dripped with
blood I; his head was bent low like n
putting ram, and everything indicated
that the fellow meant, nay, had already
done, mischief. Indeed, we shortly af-
terward saw him plunge his knife uD
to the hilt into the breast of a poor old
fisherman, who had not been fleet
enough to escape him. No sooner had
the villain withdrawn his weapon when
q young shopkeeper, attracted by the
general uproar, rushed out of side
street, and, unconsciously, right into
the jaws of death.
The next object of attack was phleg-
matte, long bearded, heavy.huilt "der-
wish " (Moslem monk), with three vol
umes of manuscript under his arm,
who dropped his library, took to his
heels in right good earnest, and disap-
peared around the corner like shadow.
Frenzied by the escape of his intend
ed victim, the human tiger darted mad
ly on in his course of destruction, over
took and grasped savagely by the right
arm handsome young woman, who
had been making strenuous efforts to
get out OF his way; but the well-known
waddling gait peculiar to Moslem
women, and mainly due to their far too
spacious betasselled, lemon -colored.
morocco leather boots, was no match for
the prodigious speed of the murderer.
Just at this point the bloody career of
the desperate was abruptly cut short by
well-mounted Bedouin, armed with a
long lance, which, on dashing up behind
the murderer, he drove deeply into his
back at the very moment when a we'll
directed slash of sword in the hands
of an armorer on the neck of the assassin
almost severed his head from his BODY.
and laid him out on the ground stone
dead.
A feeling of intense relief was mani
tested by the spectators of the terrible
tragedy; and my companions and my
self, all armed with revolvers, felt
heartily glad to have been spared the
awful probability of becoming his exc
cutioners.
The corpse was soon identified as
that of Malay sailor, who had been
known to be subject to occasional fits
Of insanity, or rather uncomfortable
Its OF frenzy, for few of these fellows |
who indulge in running muck (by no
means very rare occurrence in certain
parts of the Orient, especially in India
md the Malay Islands), can be pro-
lounced absolutely insane. Just pre-
1ious to these freaks, they usually
shave of every hair on their bodies, and
thoroughly oil or grease their persons
rom head to foot; then they start on
heir errand Of destruction, armed only
With knife or dagger, and in state
# perfect nudity, in order to render
heir seizure all but m imnossibiIitv
tunning at the top of their speed, they
tab at every living creature, man or
nimal, within their reach but rarely,
ever, stab the same victim more ;
han once. They usually run straight
head, never turning back or round {
brupt corners, nor running into houses; {
or will they stop until strangled by a '
unning moose thrown over their heads, {
+ until they are stunned, MORALLY &
or killed outright. l
Running muck by Orientals is at
'ibutable to various causes, as, for in
'ance, to the consumption of opium,
asheesh, Indian hemp), etc, to reli- t
Ious frenzy, to thirst for revenge, or S
acute mental and bodily suffering of
'me description.
The casualties of the tragedy just de-
ribbed amounted to five persons killed
ltright, and about twenty others more O
less seriously wounded. Shortly +
ter the death of the desperate, and q
e removal of the killed and wounded, L
% locality gradually re-assumed its v
Istomary appearance, our fugitive t
again appeared, and we re. p
rned To the staaner in safety III