The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1882-04-08
Descriptive Artitles.
Running A-Muck.

The Malay Is singular combination of
opposite qualities. Naturally dull, slothful
and fond Of ease he Is easily reused. and
then his energy Is terrible. His liability
ta frenzy i due to intense nervousness and
10 an extrayagant idea of personal dignity.
He i a. sensitive to an insult aS to stab.
30 highly strung are his nerves that, under
certain circumstances. his viii comes under
the influence Of those he meets He imi-
tateS their gestures and mimies their peen-
harities If the person chances to be an
enemy he viii continue this mimicking until
Il works him up into frenzy, and then
there l. a volcanic eruptien ''Amok
amak : Is the warning cry that announces
tha, some Malay has become terror TO his
fellows All fec from him and rush to
shelter themselves. The mailman Is blind
to everything but the desire TO kill He is
running a-muck This popular phrase
siesignates the reckless hlaodthirsty career
Of a Malay n he rushes through a crowd,
striking with his terrible kris, right and
leit. He makes no distinction between
friend and foe. Expecting to be slain, he
dies oontenteslly, if he Stays score. before
Welding up has own wresebed life
Formerly, when the cry "Amok = was
heard in Singapore. every one tired To kill
the runner a. il he were mad dog. Nova
DAYS the object j. 10 take him alive, that he
may be tried and punished. \ public
death by hanging Is thought TO be more Of
q preventative Of ansok running than killing
the maniac in the nidss Of uiclee. The
police are therefore armed with stout,
short prongcd pitehfork with which to
catch the nlaniac by the thr,ai and pin him
tn a wall
During the run the excitement Is in
tense Shrieks of Auok annex = are
heard far in advance Of the mailman.
People fy To the right and left. tramPling
ever each ether in their haste TO escape.
Wild crie~ and groans announce the adj
vance of the murderer lie stabs as he
fiies plunging hiS kris into the back Of
the fleeing man. Leaping over the fallen
body he avoids thrust and returns il with
deadly effect Bleeding victims marx his
eour~e Europeans shoe, a him from
their reyolyers Some shots take effect;
more mis-. Malays wait on one side, kris
In hand One dcdges the mans thrust
and gives him a cut. Frenzy has made
him a gian, in endurance He rusheS ON,
though bleeding. cutting and ssabbing until
brought TO bay against some wall Hold
ing aloft his CORY kriSs he deiies the crowd
to approach. 4 policeman steps Ia the
front Thrusting with his pitehfork he
catches the maniac By the throat and pins
him Ia the wall The kris Is removed
from his bloody hand and, bound, he Is led
of 10 prison
Psychologists have given various opinions
as to the cause Of the annex. Some attIib-
ute il to the use Of opium. Others speak
of it as mania induced by some disease of
the digestive organs. An English officer,
whose long residence among the Malays
gives authority to his opinion, says that 1t
Is a national custom which originated in
the desperate and applauded act Of some
revengefal Malay Tradition handed down
his exploit with eommendation. His ex-
ample was followed as the right thing for
Malay to do when inslilted OF apprehensive
Of deadly danger.
In Japan public opinion formerly com
PEELED a gentleman when insulted to COM
nit hari-kari, that is, to commit suicide by
disemboweling himself, The Malays hold
that an offense must be wiped out in blood.
:. A wound may heal but it always leaves a
scar, says Malayan proverb, inculeating
revenge. Custom makes it honorable to
become infuriated and to kill score of
persons instead of killing himself He
knows that he viii be killed, but the very
men who kill viii applaud his bloody deeds.
That the amok is made subservient TO
the win in order to crafty revenge is prov
ed by evidence My eyes got dark ard |
ran ON, said an imprisoned amok-runner,
exeusing himself by alleging blind fury.
Il ardently long for his blood TO clean my
face blackened with charcoal, wrote Ma
lay, indicating his desire to run a-muck to
avenge an insult. Il desire to wash out
the pollution of the hogs flesh with which
he smeared me, wrote another. He was
a Mussulman, to whom the touch of pork
was defilement The figure expressed his
sense of the insult and his contempt for the
offender