The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1894-08-18
SAMOAN HEAD HUNTERS.
Renewal oE the Harharoua prnc-
tice During Recemt Troubles


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Of shead-hunting" in Samoa during the
recent troubles between the pertisans
Of Malietoa and OF Mataafa; and upon
the occasion, in violation Of old Samoan
customs, the heads of girls, rs well as of
men, were taken BY the native troops
engaged to fight for the triple protec-
torate which exists under the authority
of tho British, German, and American
governmental By advices received in
Washington from spies short time
ago, says recent dispatch, it was
learned that an attempt to put a stop
to the practice had been made by the
American jurist, Mr.. Ide, Of Vermont,
who was last year appointed to the
Office Of chief Justice Of Samoa, but the
attempt was unsuccessful, as it was
not sustained by the resident consuls.
When the government troops went out
to fight Mataafa's people in the rebel
lion of this year he warned them that
they would be punished if they in
dulged in the practice Of head hunting;
and yet, notwithstanding, IS soon as
hostilities were begun the head hunters
broke loose, and when they returned
from the field they brought with them
the heads Of their victims, which
were laid at the feet of the king
with the knowledge Of the foreign
consuls serving under the protectorate
On account Of the peculiar circum-
stances of the case Chief Justice Ide
found himself unable to measure out
the punishment which he had threat
ened to inflict. The ruling authorities
would give him no assistance; the Of
native warriors disregarded his warn
ing; he had no means of enforcing his
orders. II can look for no support
here, physical or moral, says the chief
justice. For reasons that are not to
their credit the Europeans living in
Samoa declare that barbarous practices
must be tolerated until the rebellious
natives are wholly crushed; aud SO
they are opposed to any interference
with the old Samoan institution of
head hunting. The next outbreak in
Samoa, therefore, will probably again
give evidence of the existence of the
abomiuable practice in an enlarged as
sortment of human. heads
The strangest of all the protests
against it's continuance under civilized
authority has just been made by Mr..
Robert Louis Stevenson, the celebrated
novelist, who, in letter sent from
Apia, tells Of some Of the scenes that
were recently witnessed there. He says
that the government troops, upon re-
returning from the field where they
had fought the Mataafans, not only
brought with them the heads Of rebel
warriors, but also those of girls. They
marched in procession to Molinuw, car
rving the girls heads which they had
taken, and ''made of them an oblation
to that melancholy efagy, the king
ment building, offered thanks to the
head hunters, and crowned as heroes
those who should have been hanged as
criminals. The three members of the
Anglo lo-German-American consular tri-
umvirate ''unanimously winked" upon
the occasion, as they had previously
winked at other incidents not less
shocking. perpetrated under the re-
sponsibility of the protecting powers
England, Germany and the United
States When the girls heads were
brought in Mr.. Stevenson went to the
British consul, Mr.. Cusack-Smith, and
pressed him to take some action, yet he
only drafted = protest, which was put
under paper weight, where it lay un-
til the savage ceremony was ended. He
then spoke without any good result tc
some of the fighting men who had
taken heads, and some Of whom had
contented themselves with taking only
the ears of their dead victims, as tro
phies. He next conferred with the
American chief justice, who, however,
as has already been said, was power
less. II must not wonder, though
may still deplore, that Mr. Ide accepted
the situation" It is but fair to say,
however, that since Mr.. 1de took Office
he seems to have done all he could to
prevent head hunting. It Is the gov
ernments under whose authority he
holds his place that refuse to give him
the power to put . stop to it. The old
king, Mataafa, who was detbroned and
has been sent into banishment by
the protectorate, forbade the taking of
heads in war; but the king who now
rules by the grace of the protectorate
is devoid of sqneamishness in regard to
1t, and even this year has shown him
self ready to accept IN oblation OF
girls heads.
Mr.. Stevenson declares that many
atrocities have been perpe-
trated during the last campaign
against the followers Of Mataafa. He
tells the 'story Of Manono," where the
aged Mataafa flung himself on his
knees before British captain and inn
plored protection for his women and
children. Very soon afterward at the
time of nightfall, flames were observed
to rise from the island. There was Wild
disorder al through the night; the
houses were burned, the women
stripped naked. the food trees hewn
down, the animals killed, and great
part of the island was reduced to ruins
He tells Of other outrages not less
atrocious in the province Of Ana and
all perpetrated under the
responsibility Of the triple protectorate.
PAT WAS PUZZLED.
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