The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-12-11

counter As consequence disputes rarely
occur among them unless Of the gravest
character, in winch case thes gravest
methods Of adjudication are reSorted TO in
The shape of kris and dagger.
Among the Sulus, VINO are TO the Malay
races what the Vikings were TO Europe.
lhe love Of fighting r fghtiEgs sake is
predomiu ant in their character, and there is
no necessity for a Sulu 10 run amok in his
own islands.
A sulleB or savage look In mans eye is
sufficient 10 make the passing oulu leap
into fighting flame, and the OToodlng
Am0ker would be spared moments IN
necessary yeaTning for blood and struggle.
Every amoker commences with a brood
Ing fl.
l have witnessed half a dozen cases Of
AmOk at least, and following up theory on
after confinement WIN results that have
enabled me TO check at least another half
dozen cases at the very outset.
1t is popularity supposed that an ordinar-
lIy well-behaved Malay will suddenly. at
any hour, without rhyme or reason, leap
up. and attacking the nearest person as a
commencement rush forth on a wild career
Of stabbing and slashing in al directions
This is not quite the case. l have always
noted two points in all the researches l
have made into this interesting subject.
namely. that the amoker was known as
man of queer fits aud bFoOding tempera-
ment. and in almost every case had been
sufferer at some time in his life from
severe case Of sunstroke.
II may, [ think, be safely said that every
man who runs amok is crank" and has
been crank" for some time previous 10
his outbursL.
To Malay, who never uses his hands in
fStlc violence. there is but one means of
exercising his ambition to ''go upon tear"
His knife, either paranR or kris, is always
Ia his hands in his Jungle home and path
ways, and he naturally turns first to his
most familiar weapon.
Steer excitement will often cause Malay
to break into an amOk, but In every such
case / think il will be found that the
am0ker was man accustomed 10 frequent
fighting in wild communities.
A Zig "durbar" was held not long ago at
Sandakan, in British North Borneo. The
various wild Dyak chiefs present were all
being kindly treated and honored if only
for polcy's sake. An old brother officer of
mine stepped out from the reception-ball
for breath of fresh air in the open.
Tie overstrained excitement of a wild
Dyak, sitting near by. snapped at tile sud-
den apparltion of the white man from
the mysterious interior. With a veil he
leaped, and. with razor-edged kris, cut at
the unfortunate officers head. cleaving a
cash in his face which took twelve months
in Pccadiliy to heal.
Before he could repeat the blow he was
cut down and overpowered by the sur
rounding natives, and lived 10 regret his ex-
element and control his nerves.
On the Malay Peninsula the natives ara a
Tar more gentle and Quieter race than the
Sulus or Dyaks. and the cases Of amok
which break out there are generally cases of
brains unsettled by sunstroke or Of morbid
natures allowed 10 worry beyond fual con-
troll.
1t has been said by the learned theorists.
more at home in their studies than in the
lungles, that there is no cure or proven
live for outbreaks of amok.
There differ and will show good proof
10 the contrary.
= Not so very long ago a smart young
British magistrate was in charge Of a we'll
known settlement not far from Singapore.
Cases of amok were occurring every week,
accompanied by heavy lists of dead and
wounded victims.
Ii must be understood that the average
Malay is not only absolutely indifferent TO
death, but often welcomes il as a happy
means OF improving his condition in an
other world. where M0hammed has offered
Bun such paradise as his unsophistcated
nature deems all tina. can be desired.
Under these circumstances the death
penalty las laid down in the Indian pen al
code adopted In the Malay countries ruled
oy the British is such as causes him no con-
Germ whatever
He will walk, boy or man, calmly and
superciionsly TO the gallows and, smoking
his last cigarette, smile disdainfully upon
bis audience to the last moment which Dir o DIS
him out OF sight.
Our young magistrate, with an amount of
zeal which proved his youth aud inexperi-
eDce, set to work to discover somethin O
which might possibly get as a deterrent. He
determined to attack the Malay religion.
Accordingly, he caused notifications to be
posted in his district to the effect that the
next person convicted Of murder BY amok
should not only be hung by his neck till he
was dead, but should furthermore be Gre
mated after death and his ashes carried ia
the four points of the compass and scat
tered into the sea around the island.
The Maleys, relying upon the cast-iron
integrity of British laws, smiled at what
thew supposed was an idle threat and
within very few hours after the posting of
the notices an amok took place. Two or
three deaths resulting, the magistrate
promptly carried his threat into execution,
and the terms Of his extra punishment were
carried out to the letter.
The Mohammedan community stood
agbast at the awful prospect before them.
Here was a man lost in body so completely
az 10 be lost forever in soul, and the like
prospect awaited any Of them who chose To
run amok for their own pleasure or con-
yenience.
For one complete year not single case OF
amok took place in that district. The cure
was perfect
The intelligent reader, IMMERSED In the
ways of governments, Will doubtless expect
TO hear Of high honor and reward conferred
upon the brilliant young dlscoverer OF a
cure for hitherto ineurabe ana dangerous
nuisance.
As matter of fact at the close Of year's