The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1899-03-04
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
AN AMERICAN SHIPPERS STARTLING
EXPERIENCE WITH MALAY PIRATES.

SIutinv First; Then Torture-Feasted and
Toadied to For Weeks by Filipinos
Who Intended Him as a Sacrifice to
Their Native Deity-How He Escaped.
There lives on the Hawleyton road,
six miles from Binghamton, relates
the New York Press, a man who
passed through hairraising expert
ence in one of the islands of the Phil
ippine archipelago thirty years ago,
the details of which have never before
been made public. The man is Eras-
tus Hepworth, an old skipper, and
though now bowed with the weight OF
years, he still has keen recollection
and wildly recounts his tale OF the
months of horror which he spent on
thickly wooded isle in the Pacific.
In 1867 Hepworth was skipper OF
a small sailing vessel that left San
Francisco for Hong Kong. At that
time men were scarce and wages high,
so Hepworth was obliged to take an
ill-assorted crew; but though of vii
famous countenance, they behaved
themselves in an unexceptlonal man
ner until the China Sea was reached.
Then mutiny was unexpectedly de-
veloped, and Hepworth, supported by
only one man, an officer, found him
self confronted by blood-thirsty set
of cutthroats, who demanded that he
lower the Stars and Stripes and raise
the black flag. 1t afterward developed
that large number of the crew had
served on Malay pirate ships, and that
by threats and promises OF reward
had won over the minority.
Their demand was, of course, re-
fused, and the officer fired pistol,
wounding one of the mob. There was
arush forward, and he was knocked
down and cast overheard, food for the
sharks that had followed the ship.
Hepworth was bound and consulta-
ton held as to what disposal should
be made of him. The Malays favored
sending him following the officer, but
the minority of American sailors in
sisted that his life should lbe spared,
and he was finally put boat, given
pair of oars and "a small supply Of
food, and told if he would steer IN
certain direction he would reach one
of the Philippine Islands.
After thirty-eight hours on the
ocean, Hepworth reached q thicklJ
wooded island, which he subsequently
determined was of the group lying be
tween Nindano and Leyle. There was
dense, tropical vegetation, but when
he pulled his boat up on the beach nc
sign of life. Besides the provision:
he had an old-fashioned fowling piece
and flask of powder. The weapon
he left in the boat on the beach, ano
with the other packages started TOWARD
the wood. He had gone but shor
distance when Q nude and chatterint
savage sprang from behind huge
palm tree, threatening him with I
spear. Almost instantly he was sur
rounded by yelling, hooting GROVE
of savages, and death seemed near
However, one of the mob, APPARENT.
the chief, interfered, and he was es
corted inland through trackless un
dergrowth, until q village of huts
we'll up in the mountains, was reached
Here he was tied to tree and tn
chief held long consultation with hi
followers. Then Hepworth's hand
were unbound, he was escorted to
hut adjoining that occupied by th
chief and shown every courtesy. A
time wore on and he picked up littl
of the language, he was Mortified t
learn thai he, with two other vic
: Tins, prisoners captured on a neigh
| boring island. were held for huma
sacrifice. It was the custom OF thl
tribe to select prisoners taken in bat
tie or captured by other means fo
sacrifices to their gods. The victim
would sometimes be kept a Who'll
year, and during that time were treate
: with every respect, rich food, flower
+ and everything that could make lii
in these savage wilds pleasant beln
lavished upon them.
Hepworth had been with the trib
about eight months when he learne
that the time of one of the victims wa
!. drawing to close, and on a certai
day the sacrifice would be performed
Once devoted to the sacrifice, thel
!. was no escape for the captive, and
:, the expiration of the time he We
seized by the medicine man or prize
Ia of the, tribe and escorted up tt
mountain in plain view of the hui
- and assembled villagers, to spot
'. a promontory where stone altar ht
:, been erected. Here two other med
- cine men, striped and painted unit
u their natural responsiveness BEGAN
10 something fearful, were on hand
- assist. They seized the victim al
laid him on his back, while the chic
. with quick pass of his flint knit
's' opened the breast and tore out t
IN bleeding, FACILITATING heart, holdil
X it first toward the sun, then iowa
GO the village, and finally casting it in
US the sea.
This ended the ceremonies for t
y. day, but the most CHASTITY were yet
. come, for at evening huge fire W
:" lighted, songs were sung, and t
-, ~ medicine men, with the chief and
,.e followers, sat down to feast off t
:. body of the victim, which had be
~ roasted to turn. When Hepwor
saw the sacrifice and its attenda
81 orgies and realized the awful positi
10 in which he was placed, he becal
60. s;ot with horror Fscapa was out