The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1901-07-30
The Kris With the Plain Handle.
BY Frederic Coleman.
GaEaI3EXE2ENHE;E3EAEaENEYkMMYN:NM


Upon my return to Manila in the
spring of 1900 from four months So
1ourn in the Southern Philippines
was reminded by my friend Feldman
that l had promised. before starting
Tor the south, to purchase for him a
hne kris, weapon much IN evidence
among the savage tribes of the islands
Of Mindanao and Jolo.
1 accordingly asked my friend to
drop into my quarters and select a
weapon to his liking from my store of
200 or more krises. Feldman lost no
time in calling on me. and after some
hesitation, owing to his inability to de-
eide between a beautiful "snake-kris"
from the Lake Lanao country, which
had fine ivory handle, and a Jolo
weapon, the handle of which was COW
cred with leaf-gold, hammered from
Spanish coins, he selected the former,
as Lake Lanao curios are extremely
rare. Before Feldman left the room,
however, he spied peculiar kris with
plain wooden handle wrapped with
strong black thread, which was lying
on nay writing desk The blade OF this
weapon was inlaid with silver, and
the curves at its base began in wide
sweeps at the hilt, and ceased alto.
gether at the centre of the blade, leav-
ing the point straight for at least 4
foot and a half.
Il say, old man." said my friend,
picking up the kris with the plain han
die, II didn't see this one. 1t isn't
very elaborate as to finish, but it GER
tainly has a sinister look of business
about it. If you have no objections, I
think ] Will take il in preference to the
snake Do you know, l wouldn't
wonder if that knife had a history
Where did it come FROM"
Feldman was right in his surmise
The kris with the plain handle had n
history. and that pretty exciting one.
The odd thing about it was that no
one knew that history better than my
self, for 1 saw the keen. cruel knife
sating its lust for blood one day, and
could give direct testimony to the eff
feet that IL had taken the lives of at
least FIVE human beings, besides
wOunding and manning as many more.
1t was early January in Parang- Pa
rang, a town on the south coast of
Mindanao. and the day of an event of
the greatest interest TO the inhabitants.
The company of American soldiers
which had been detailed to garrison
Parang Parang had arrived in the
morning, and the vertical rays of the
fierce tropical sun at MONDAY were
beating down as if bent on showing
the newcomers how hot they could
make a day along the seventh parallel
Of latitude. The people of the town
were enjoying their sicstas after the
excitement caused by the coming Of
the first Americans they had ever seen
with the exception of Major Brett.
Governor of Gotta -BatO. and myself.
who had visited Parang- Paraug q few
weeks before. The landing Of the
troops had been effected in the most
satisfactory manner. and the soldiers
were quartered temporarily in the ce-
ment church OF the town, as the old
Spanish barracks We're IN most IN
sanitary condition.
Parang- Parang bears rather a bad
reputation. AS a post OF the soldiers
OF Spain it caused the Dons nearly as
much trouble as all the rest OF the
great unruly. unexplored Island Of
Mindanao put together Nearly 900
Spanish soldiers were killed in and
about Parang Parang during the scant
eight years that Spain maintained q
garrison there.
One day I was standing in the main
street of Parang Paraug. unmindful of
the heat. engaged in an earnest en-
doavor to induce a big, ugly Moro to
place q price on his kris. the blade OF
which was of uncommon pattern. all
though the knife bore q plain handle
and the sheath was devoid of orna-
ment As was frequently the case
among the Moros. the owner of the
kris did not care to part with &c. and
would not consider any offer no mat.
ter how eXtravagant. In reply TO my
question as TO why So fine q blade
should Doe fitted to So plain handle
hc answered. in q surly tone, that he
Kept bis weapon for use and not for
sale The remark was one I had heard
frequently before u reply TO uilar