The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-08-11

exchange was satisfactory, for whatever
sins they committed they showed no signs
OF panic.
Later on 1 was encouraged by the state
ment that Bandar Termasa, for all its un-
promising appearances. was a place for men,
where those n had a difference settled
IL. promptly with the kris, and towards
who came there either found courage or
s sSpar wss IA = story that hs AMUSED tne go sn
was carried from the dueling field past
the palisade which inclosed the Sultan's
house. his Highness had asked. through the
bars. what was the matter, and. being told,
had loconically remarked: "If he is wound
ed doctor him.; II he Is dead. bury him."
for p1 isa my re shhsd 2 In the place e lady.
note thirteen times with his own dagger,
and sent the next morning 10 know
did Mder not m ! wRu fan lxe the 10 p wssbo5e + TIA as m shs
was not killed, and made no complaint.
Another lady, for a similar reason. visited
on one side. and. finding the man she want
ed. attempted TO stab him with a long
kris she had brought for that purpose.
That was then the state of society In Ban
dar Termasa.
HYPNOTIZED EASILY.
Among the twenty-five police were two
men OF the name of Kasim; they were both
natives Of Amboina, but very different in
disposition. and they were known among
their comrades as Kasim Besar and Kasim
Kechil-that Is. Kasim Major and Kasim
Minor.
kasim Major was a quiet. reserved, silent
man of about twenty-five. and afterward
realized that he had a somewhat violent
temper when reused. Kasim Minor, on the
happy and pieasant-Iooking young
r rsIstsd OF ABOUT twenty. They were not
reIateo TO each other in any way.
4 USED orten to be away on the coast and
Up the river, and on my return from one of
t K expiditions / noticed the men teasing
nasim minor, and saw at once that he was
iatah. 1 questioned the inspector. and he
oola me hat during my absence he had
hours, and when he returned. about 4 -
m, he saw Kasim Mino up a cocoanut
Tree Just outside OF the ~stockade. On ask
piled that he could not get down because
there was a snake at the bottom of the
tiis es In realty there was a bit of rattan
moved, Kasim came down.
now, II Is no easy matter to climb a
c Go 6 a !, tree; it requires a special training
IT.. But the inspector ascertained that the
otner police had found out by accident
mat their comrade was latah; that they
nad ordered him to climb a tree. which he
mad at once done. n that then, out OF
sheer deviltry. some one had taken a bit of
rattan, said. DO you see this snake? 1
VIII tie 1t around the tree, and then you
cam come down." and so left him from
10 a: m. till the afternoon, when the in
spector returned and released him.
ne was constantly with me / had better
opportunities Of studying his peculiarities.
about his time also I learned that Lasim
speaking generally, 1t Is only necessary
Tor one to attract the attention of either Of
these men by the simplest means, holding
rather pointed way, touching them, or even,
when close by, to look them hard in
the face. and instantly they appear to
lose all control of themselves and would
do not only whatever they are told to do,
but whatever was suggested by a sign.
1 have seen many latah people. male and
none so susceptible to outside influence, SO
ready to blindly obey a word or sign.
The kindly disposition Of Kasim Minor
Kasim was rather a dangerous subject to
play tricks with. as I will presently ex-
plain.
The latah man or woman USUALLY met
With, II suddenly startled by a touch, noise
or the sight of something unexpected, will
not only snow all the signs of a very ner-
vous person, but almost Invariably win fire
OH a volley of expressions more or less
obscene, having no reference at all to the
circumstance which has suddenly aroused
attention. AS a rule 1t Is necessary to
startle these people before they will say
or do anything to show that they are diff
ferently constituted to their neighbors. and
wnen they nave betrayed themselves either
by word or deed their instinct is to get
away as quickly as possible. Children and
even crowd up people cannot always re-
son.. for one reason because it is so ex-
ceedingiy easy, for another because they
are inclined on the spur of the moment to
90 iudicrous things or say something they
would under ordinary circumstances be
ashamed of. Almost Invariably latah peo-
pie of this class (and it IS by far the most
never seem to think of resenting the lib
erty, taken with their infirmity. If by
word or deed they commit themselves land
that Is not uncommon) they either run
away, or appear to be unconscious of hay-
ing said or done anything unusual (this.
however, is rare), or they simply say, II am
Iatan, as a fun explanation and excuse.
II anyone present accidently drops some
thing on the floor, If a lizard falls from the
roof on to or near a latah person, if the
WIND blows the shutter of a window To
with a bang. a latah person OF the class ]
speak OF will probably find ii necessary to
at Least say something not usually heard in
jority are women. "
ILLUSTRATIONS.
1t must be understood that. except when
under influence, when actually showing evil
dence OF this strange popularity, latah
people are undistinguishable from others.
1t is sufficient proof Of this that amongst
my twenty-five police there should have
been two men more completely latah thar
any I have ever seen before or since.
If the attention of either of these men
was arrested, as 1 nave said, by word
sign or a meaning glance, from that mo-
ment until the influence was removed. the
latah man would do whatever he was told
or signed to do without hesitation, wheth-
er the act signified were difficult, danger
Gus or painful. When once under this in
huence any one present could give the
order and the latah man would immedi.
ately obey it; not only that, but even al
some distance (aS In the cocoanut tree In.
cidenD, he appeared to be equally subjec,
to the Will imposed on his actions.
A curious thing about both these mer
was that, having attracted the attention
OF either, If YOU said. "Kasim, go and hi
that man," he would invariably repeat
what was said. word for word, including
his own NAME, while he carried out the
order. When the person hit turned or
him Kasim would say: 1T was not l who
hit you, but that man who ordered me-"
1 have seen Kasim, the younger, wheu
the man influenced him, put his own finger
in his mouth and pretend to bite II, imi.
tate the action, but really bite his finger
and bite it hard. Similarly l have seer
him, in imitation and without a word be.
ing said. take a lighted brand from the
fire. and he would nave put ii in his mouth
IL the experiment had been carried so far
Some one told him one day TO jump into
the river, and he did not get out until he
Rod cuau, naarly 900 wards for the sfrao ~