River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1893-01-12
HUMAN TIGERS.
Bloody Deeds Performed by Fero-
ciouS Africans.
Disguised In the Skins of wild Beasts
They Waylay and Feast Upon
the Bodies of Loae
Travellers.

the Bodies OF Loae
Travellers.
This stimulation of lycanthropy, saws
letter from Africa in Goldthwaite's
Geographical Magazine, is known here
by the name of "Kuyon," which has
been translated into Krovboy English
as the man tiger, although the practice
is not wholly confined to men. The
Krovbov English name is a misnomer,
as it is well known that no tigers exist
in Africa, but it is also a well-known
fact that there are man-eating leopards.
In one month, in a district comprising
some twenty square miles, more than
twenty people We're killed by the Loop
ards AT first the writer was very skep-
teal as to the power of this animal to
carry off human beings, but that power
has been fully substantiated 1t is also
well-known fact that human beings
disguised in leopards' skins have simu-
lated the ways of these animals, and,
like them, lay in wait to destroy their
fellow creatures.
Several malefactors have been con-
victed and executed by the authorities
for this crime, and when brought to
trial the skin and different articles
employed have been produced in most
cases. The man or woman who assumes
this part must kill seven Ia magical
number among the natives) living an
imals, including the human species,
dogs, fowls, deer, etc. After this he can
render himself invisible and be invulner-
able. The first thing he must possess is
a complete leopard skin, and then in
the darkness of night he must make the
small tomahawk he carries and the
spikes used on the hands. These are
made out of a gun that has killed seven
people, tempered with blood freshly
drawn from himself. at full moon he
must hold a vigil alone, by the banks
of broad stream, and watch steadily
the reflections of the moons image in
the water, during which time the nov
itiate is supposed to see wonderful Wis
ions and obtain supernatural strength.
Then, lying in wait for his prey after
the manner of the leopards, he pounces
upon the unwary victim, tearing open
his throat and drinking his life blood.
The lycanthrope then proceeds to dis
member the body of his victim, pulling
off by main force thumbs, big toes, and
flesh between the eyes, and then tear
ing open the still quivering body to OBJ
tain the heart. The latter is eaten.
When the body is anointed with the
fat about the entrails it is supposed to
confer invisibility.
Strangers and women passing alone
on the road are the usual victims. The
writer was present in Mayumba with
Mr.. Evans when a native of Gamma was
traced and caught in the bush after sus-
pieions had been aroused, owing to the
slaughter of two other Gamma men.
AS the Europeans had no jurisdiction
and the native chiefs of Mayumba de-
cided they could not interfere, the man
was sent on to his own people, and was
afterward executed there for similar
offense shortly after his arrival.
Here in the interior, in order to pre-
vent the spread of the Kuyon, the skin
Ct every leopard killed is cut into mar
row strips and divided among the elders
of the place. Quite recently, however,
was in a native village and saw the
leopard-slzin spikes followed to receive
the fingers. A small wedge-shaped
tomahawk was attached thereto through
hole in the wooden handle, which was
plentifully bedaubed with blood. The
Kuvon's disguise had been found Sc
creted in hollow tree, and / was pres
ent at the confession and death. 1t was
a woman named Aroonda, about forty
years old. She confessed to the murder
of three men and one woman, and re-
GREETED that she had not been able to
find more victims to make up the magic
total of seven.
She was of fragile appearance and it
seemed physically impossible that she
had done the deeds imputed to and con-
fessed by her. From her appearance,
and because of the wild expression of
her eyes, fully believe she was insane.
but this, when preached, was secuted
by the judge, as she had successfully
carried on her household and family
duties. Her two children were sold
into slavery, the natives having the
idea that the offspring of Kuyon soon
err or later attain the same instinct. The
husband and family were unanimous in
desiring the removal of the children to
such distance that they would be I'M
able to return to the town, and it
was only by continued intercessions that
they were not executed along with the
mother.
Each Kuyon plans individually his
schemes and'career, and in an experience
of over twenty years here in Africa |
have known only two cases, both of
which were in Gaboon, where two or
more persons engaged in concert to per-
form their feroeious and nefarious muir
ders, and under no circumstances should
it be considered an association of mem
bers of a secret society.
May not grinding sense of wrong
received without means of paying the
aggressor drive some of these people
to the verge of madness, or may it not
be the result of hereditary homicidal
mania?