The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-05-17
The Re hGED ARE
PUT 10 DEATH
Survival of FitteSt, in Princi-
pie in Siberian Ports
CONDITIONS DEMAND IT
Story of Brother Killing
Brother Pathetic
CONDITIONS DEMAND IT

lt4IOio- oNASANt - 4bOhCN uBoAl ny NhcAA
as commendable, and the Most praise
worthy act of filal piety which a son can
perform is to kill his aged father.
These people are the Chukches. The
first authentic account Of their custom Of
killing the aged has just been brought IL
this country by Vladimir BogoroZ and w.
]. Jochelson, who went among them in
the interest of the American Museum of
Natural History. Mr.. BagorOz has spent
five or six years altogether in north
eastern Siberia. Many phrases of his So
journ among the savage tribes have been
printed, but he has until now given no
account of parricide as practced by the
Chukches.
THE killing of the aged is in itself
nothing new said Mr.. Bogoroz 1T is
practiced in China and in other coun-
tries where the struggle for life is hard
But the Chuckches have surrounded the
practice with certain features which
make their mode unique.
In other countries death is punish
ment which the doomed person tries to
escape With the Chukches dissolution is
welcomed and it is the survivors who
show regret I say regret instead of grief
because the Chukches regard the custom
much as we would a marriage of short
Journey. For this reason there is little
mourning.
Yet these people are not bloodthirsty.
TSey are peaceable as anyone could
with. l lived among them for three
vars and found them kindly and hos
pitable in their way. Neither are they
gloomy and morbid. as one might suppose
from the fact that suicide is so common
among them. On the contrary, they are
extremely cheerful. and l believe I heard
more laughter among them than any
where I have ever been, But the country
in which they i've is extremely cold and
barren. The struggle for food takes al
their time and energies.
There are two groups of Chukches, the
reindeer breeders and the maratime group,
The inland group raises herds of rein
deer and do not suffer to the extent the
maratime ChuKches do. They wander
about with their tents and heards. The
maratime Chukches are found in the ISL
ands along the northeastern portion Of
Siberia. Once in a while famine all but
wipes them out. \ period of food scarcity |
came a few years ago, and of the six viii
la ses on St Lawrence Island only ono |
remained
1T is regarded as a sin for any one To |
waste food 1t is for this reason that they
eat putrid meat and flesh and not, as
some persons suppose. because they like
st. Game is far from plentiful, so that
the country can support only a limited
popula ton OF expert hunters. Therefore
the Chukches have reasoned ii out that if
they are to exist in such a region every
one must contribute toward the stock of
food. In order to escape famine the pop
ulation must be kept within certain limits.
The presence in the community of men
too old to hunt deer. walrus and bear. and
Of women whom years have robbed of
the strength to dress skins. build lodges,
and prepare food, is regarded as a men
ace to the strong-and in Chukcheland
only the strongest and the fittest can sur
vive Only when men and women reach
the age when they no longer can be use
full they are killed.
Mr.. Bogoroz says this custom is older
than any present necessity. 1t had its
origin in the dim past, and is now so hall
lowed by tradition that it is regarded as
sacred. So established is the practice that
1t is surrounded by certain rules and rites.
If an aged Chukche declares his intention
of dyinS 1t is regarded as a VOW from
which there is no withdrawal. They do
not speak of killing or death" Even
among the Chukches the ending Of earth
'Iy existence IS surrounded by euphemism
to rob the grave of its terrors. In their
way they use such phrases as taking a
long journey" going away" and other
expressions which have a sinister mean
ing
This form of death is a thing to which
every man looks forward as inevitable
when the time comes 20 lay aside bows
and arrows and spears In fact, as they
reach the stage of feebleness they display
anxiety TO die at the hands of their near
est relatives. For a son to refuse to Kill
his father would he as great crime and
create as much popular indignation as for
son 10 murder his father in this coun-
try. If such q contingency were to arise
the unnatural youth would be driven from
the family lodge. the other members of
the tribe would ostracise him, and he
would be driven into the wilderness with
out weapons 10 die Of starvation.
''Of course l had heard OF this practice
before I went 10 live among the Chuk-
ches.'' said Mr. Bogoroz. But thought
that certain details had been exasger-
ated. soon found out that half had not
been told. The sons have 10 Kill their
fathers. II an old man expresses wish
10 be killed his nearest and dearest rsla-
tive has % perform the task. II the eN
ecutioner selected should refuse the spir-
fits would be angry. The wish. once
expressed. cannot Re recalled. although its
fuihllnent may be delayed fer a short
time
The victim is supposed TO feel no pain
II he and his eNecutioner be on good
terms II they are not, the one who docs !
the killing is supposed to suffer the agony |
OF death. once heard a Chukche father |
pronounce this most dreaded penalty on !
bis son. He said.
since You are always Quarreling with |
me. l am going away and YOU shall send |
me-
4 The son was violently agitated as he |
heard the words. but he knew they could
not be recalled. One would have thought |
he had been sentenced TO death fnste,I /
OF his old father
i witnessed several such family execu-
tions during my sojourn among the Cyhuk-
ches. one case was that Of an old man
whom age had deprived Of sight. He was 1
eager 10 die. and time was set when |
his son should terminate his career The
father Was dressed in white funeral ga-b |
and he lay on a pile OF walrus skins be- |
hind curtain, where be could not be