The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1901-06-20

his life should be forfeited should his
townsmen be able to take it before he
escaped from their midst. For the
Moro had the blood Of two women Of
his family on the kris with the plain
handle, and by the Moro law Of an eye
for an eye and tooth for tooth his
life was already declared forfeited to
the members of the family Of the dead
women.
The commencement of the trouble
and it's cause will ever remain un-
known-as is often the case IN an
"amok." The Moro became enraged
with his wife for some reason known
only to themselves, and IN the heat OF
his anger adopted a course not uncom-
mon in Moro-land. He attacked his
spouse with his keen kris, and, driving
her before him to the front part Of the
house, finally overlook and killed her.
They were alone in the house at the
time, and as the building was some
what isolated several minutes elapsed
before those who heard her screams
arrived on the scene. By that time
her cries had ceased and her troubles
were over. That her struggles must
have been frantic in the extreme was
proved by the condition Of the dwell
ing.
Leaving her mangled form. the Moro
,Ie {ha ,foi i,xyo o.
of the house, and met another woman
of his family as she was ascending the
stairs, attracted by the screams OF her
neighbor. BY that time the vengeful
blood-lust which filled the maddened
Moro's mind had gained complete con-
troll Of him.
Swinging his kris over his head he
cut his second victim from the shoul-
der-blade to the waist, leaving her in
her death-agonies where he had struck
her down. BY this time half-a-cozen
people were at the foot of the stair
way, but the murderer jumped down
the steps and ran by them so swiftly
that they had no opportunity of leurn-
ing the extent of his crime before he
had passed around the corner Of the
house and was at some distance from
it. In an instant, however, two or
three Of his townsme1 discovered the
mangled form at the top Of the stair
way, and started off on the trail Of the
fugitive, crying, Ell Moro, el Moro"-
words whose significance were that
someone had run amok"-and calling
upon anyone who had the opportunity
to assist in capturing or killing him.
AS the Moro, now become renegade.
passed the first house on his way tow
ards the centre Of the town several
lances were hurled at his retreatins
figure, though none of them found
their mark.
It might seem peculiar that the rene
gade should make for the centre of the
town; but that was his shortest route
to the shore of the bay, where he could
obtain a boat and soon place himself
in the hands of rival Datto on the
opposite shore q few miles distant.
This was no doubt his intention.
AS Datto Baqui stepped from out the
crowd about him, and walked toward
the approaching Moro, he put up his
hand as if to stop him, at the same
time inquiring the cause of the distur
bance. In answer, however, tbso half
crazed man swung his krje at full
arms length around his head, and,
without doubt, had the e>weapon landed
where the Moro Intended, it would
have severed the old chiefs head from
his body. Bnt Uttamama Baqui was q
Moro hipaself, and won his way to
power in Moro-land as much by the
strength of his good right arm as by
bis powers of diplomacy. Although
sixty years Of age, he was still agile,
and the scars Of combat, which COW
cred him from head to loot, were evil
dence of his years Of experience. He
had learned that to evadc blow was
far better policy than to met 1t. He
saw the deadly gleam Of his assail-
ants eye and the evil intent 1t bore
before the kris was fairly on it's way!
BY a clever duck of his head he es-
capped what seemed for a moment to be
certain death. The weapon fell, but
It's razor-edge missed the Datto, cut
well into the neck of the servant fol-
lowing closely behind him, and added
| third to the list Of it's victims. An
other stroke of the cruel kris ended
the life Of one Of the Oatto's hench-
men who stood in the path Of the muir
derous Moro's escape. So suddenly
| was the whole affair concluded that
scarcely another weapon was drawn
before the list of deaths to be credited
to the kris with the plain handle had
been swelled to four.
In cutting his way through the
crowd. most of whom had made wild
break-away from the affair, no fewer
| than five of his fellow-townsmen were
wounded by the renegade. Incredible
as it may seem, the fleeing Moro
gained the farther edge Of the crowc
and obtained a good start, unscathed
before the Datto's warriors had gath
cred their scattered wits and giveI
chase. 4 shot was fired at the re
treating figure; but the Moros are nc
marksmen, and he stood in no danger
from their guns.
1t seemed for the moment as though
the man might make good his escape
Indeed, such might have been the
outcome had not the desire to take
human life been so strong within him
AS he was running down the road HI
met an aged and inirm Moro wh(
happened to be passing, and although
the old man was too weak to prove
fit antagonist for mere child, tn
murderer ceased his flight long enough
to bury the kris with the plain han
die from the crown to chin. straigh
through lie head of the old patriarch
of the village.
The blow that robbed the old man o.
his life, however. proved the indirec
means of the assassin's death. Be
fore the maddened Moro had tim,