The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-08-04
WITH The SULUS.
Journal Correspondent Tells of
a Dangerous People.
How a Spanish Governor
Brought Them to Time.
LIGHTS AND SHADOWS
Something About the Brave
Kansas Boys.
Would Have Gen. Funston In
United States Senate.
Good Words For Col. Little and
Major Bishop.
LIGHTS AND SHADOWS
Especial Correspondents State JournaI1

Especial Correspondence State Journal
Manila, P. I, June %, 1s99.-Among
her oceanic possessions, American has
some interesting domain, but none so
strangely interesting. horribly interest
ing as the Sulu Islands, the southern
most group of the Malaysian ArchipeI-
ago. It is a stored country, with ro-
nance, pathos, tragic and death-beguil-
ing music conjured up at every step.
The Sulus are the home of the NIoros,
that much feared class of Malays who
enjoy nothing better than running a
knife through white man.
1t was my good fortune to be sent
there recently by the United States
government, in company with a small
party of engineers, and took great
delight in studying the people and their
strange customs. To tell the truth, too
close attention with the Moros is a
rather exciting sort of amusement
like stroking the tail of a ferociOus wild
cat, to see what he will do in cOnse-
quence.
AS our ship entered the Bay of Sulu,
or Jolo, as the natives call it, I was
struck with the fOrsaken appearance of
the city, which stands on a sort of high
plateau and covers possibly an area of
ten acres. The most of the buildings,
although built in the styles common to
the tropics, are substantial and good
looking. The streets of the town are
very wide and are laid out with math-
ematical accuracy The broad side
walks are bOrdered with cemented gut
ters. in which trees are planted at per
fectly regular intervals, the cutters
widening about their roots. 1t is against
the rules of the city to drop so much
as a cigar-stub or a tiny scrap of pa
per in the street. Such things must be
thrown into the gutter.
The streets are covered with white
coral sand, and are swept twice every
day
While I was in JoIo. I met an old
Spanish resident who had been away
from his native land for over 20 years,
the greater portion of the time having
been spent in MindOro and the Sulus.
He was not a particularly communica-
was in the mood for monologues, he
told me much of his many and varied
experiences among the MorOs.
When first came to JOlO,' he said,
1.-THE place was a, veritable fever hole
dreadfuny filthy, and the MOrOs made
life for a white man a decided uncer-
tainty- They were bitterly hostile.
when General ArOlas became COVER
nor of the island" continued my Span
ish friend, things changed very ma
terially-and for the better. The gener-
al was sent to the Sulus because the
home government wanted to get rid of
him. He was too Outspoken and caused
the Madrid people no end of trouble.
They thought that if they exiled him by
making MIN SONGIllOI OL THESE ASldLOSs
he would never return and they would
be forever rid of him and his strong
republican speeches.
Just as soon as he arrived here he
made many of the Morcs prisoners and
set them to work building Qualifications
and identifying the city. He was
man of very great energy and, al
though he was severe diScipltnarian,
he was just. He built a fine water
works system, established an excellent
hospital and erected numerous free
schools. He carried on a vigorous war
fare against the natives and before
long the piratical AIoslems were cowed
as never before.
General Arolas made a very pretty
move in the direction of permanent
peace. He placed the sultan in a mag
nifcent esta blishment within the walls
of Sulu, allowing him 40 wives and
hundreds of servants and slaves. The
maintenance of the sultan in this
harem depended upon his and his peO-
pies good behavior. Unfortunately
there arose a Moro who claimed that he
was the rightful sultan. This fellow
had quite a following and again hostii-
ties began. We had regular siege or
it here from that day until the Ameri-
can troops landed"
The Moro is a fanatic; he is a born
warrior and peace to him is gall. He
hates work and expects his wives and
slaves to provide him with the neces-
stiles Of life. He gives much of his
time to the care of his weapons, and in
perfecting himself in their use. In bat
tie he is the bravest of the brave be-
cause he believes that to die fighting
gives him warranty deed to coy
corner in the seventh heaven. The most
notable characteristic is cruelty. He
will often behead a slave just to test
the edge of new barong (sWord.)
I was told that it often occurred that
captives were killed by having one of
their feet tied to a stout tree and then
being torn apart, limb from limb by
several Moro warriors.
The people of the SuIu Islands are
treacherous and deceitful. Lying is to
them a much cultivated accomplish
ment.
One of their religious beliefs renders
the habitation of the islands by white
men very perilous. The Moros believe
that one who takes the life of a Chris
time in the next world-and the more
Christians he kills, the better his
chances are for perfect happiness If.
perchance, one should be killed while
attempting to end the life of a Chris
tian, he is Immediately transported to
Moslems after death, where they may
enjoy wondrously beautiful harems
full of lovely women. Thus it has hap
pened that oftentimes when one of
these 3uramentadOs is out on a Chris
tian-killing expedition he murders sew
eral persons before he himself is final
" slain On one occasion I was told
by a, man who witnessed the affair, that
a Spanish soldier thrust his bayonet
into the breast of a juramentado and
the fanatic grasped the barrel of the
rife and pulled the bayonet further in
to him that he might kill the soldier
with a slash of his 'crisl''
At the present time two battalions
of the TWenty-third u. S infantry are
stationed at Jolo, and although they