The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-02-09
- CRUEL RACE.
Life In Dahomey with King Behan ain snd
Has Subjects

Life In Dahomey with King BshanIis snd
Has subjects
The Amazons have always sustained
their repu tation Tor bravery. they know
no such thing as fear Prom their early
childhood they are subjected 30 the
most frightfGl hardship-, and in their
drill have To endure tests Of physical
endurance 70 which the strongest men
would succumb They are STARVED,
beaten and abused in every possible
way, and systematically trained 10 dis
regard all torture and pain, no matter
how severe. II is bat natural that
they have developed into the very w
carnation Of fiealdish cruelty.
There is no known spot On earth
where human sacrifice fourisheS TO
such 4 frightful extent as IL does ia
Dahomey Missionaries are Of no use
in this dark spot of Africa, and they
are in . measure 20 blame FOR the de-
teStaticn with which tine Inhabitants
regard them. Referring 70 a partlcu-
larry obnoxious missionary named Brr-
nssllOs the king Of DahomcY said To n
messenger sent 20 intercede for the
many people set aside for sacrifice;
You say that Your people abl,or the
thoughts OF men being sacrificed, that
their religion teaches them that this IS
a crime Now, we have God man as
Whydah, and does he set an example
10 my people such as I would wish
them TO follow? Does he not drink till
he talks folly2 Does ne not drink TIL
he talks foolishness? Docs he not
make my people drunk? Away. want
none Of your God people
King Behanzin has revived the Gus
toms OF human sacrifice with all the
Unsuitable bloodthirstiness Of his grand
father, Getete A Frenchman saws that
a few months ago he was led through
the NeSu temple, where be counted
over twenty men suspended by their
ankles and knees 20 the croSsbcam Of a
huge gallovs: all were stark naked and
had been mutilated In a horrible man
ner. ont Of respect 10 the memory of
the kings wives. Ono morning whiia
he was in captivity four wrctches were
killed because the king had bad
the butchcrv, 50 that be might be inn
pressed by the kings power. The four
men were led out before the king. " tho sat
in a chair Of state emb~liished by skulls
and bones from former sacrifices
A body Of Amazons drew up behind The
victims The execgtioner was . per
feet giant ia stature. and wRs armed
with large. crooked knife made Tor
such occasions. lie had a large wooden
trough placed near him; TIL be pushed
with his foot before the arst victim.
Then. bending the man forward. Is
deliberately cut his throat, irtt,Hg the
blood run INTO the wooden dish lie
then swung the knife, and with .
mighty blow completely severed an
arm This performance was repeated
with three 0f the victims The fourth
must have suffered terribly. He vas
struck four times without severiag tho
vertcbra column. The hatcher then
put the bloody knife in bis mouth. and
Selling the ears Of the wTetched being
v-cnched the head from side r.
side. irving 70 screw Il of. and
finally having dislocs'ed IL. deliberate
~ slashcd way the fesh that sill con
necfed the head with the trunk A
large Enclosure czlIsa the Pun - tha
place where the beadlsss csrp@es % The
victims are dragged There were hun
grcde 81 human szsl-tous bleaching iu
the sun. and an equal number -
freshly gAtsred victims such .
lie IL Dzhouey