Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1903-05-08
AMoK IN THE PHILIPPINES.
.FsnaticaI outbursts OF the More
Tribesmen in the Different
Groups OF Islands.

In Sulu and in Mindanao amoks by
Mohametan fanatics among Moro
tr1besmen are common. Thesa
fellows gave the Spaniards formerly
good deal of trouble They are
now giving the American successors
| OF the Spaniards an idea of what
| amok running means. The Manila
Times thus handles some recent
1anatlcal outbursts of this kind in
that quarter: From time to time
reports have come in from the south
ern possessions stating that some
Moros have run amok.'' While many
people will recognize the expression.
there are few who know its real sig
nhcance as pertaining to the Moros.
In 19oo reports frequently came from
the Twenty-third infantry, the Twen-
! ty-eighth and Fortieth volunteer reg
iments of Moros running amok."
Since the departure of these regi-
ments for the states reports from
their successors, the Seventeenth in
fantry and Fifteenth cavalry. have
frequently referred to the same class
| Of Moros. An army officer, recently
from the Sulu archipelago, gives the
following significance to the express
1
religion. subject, no matter how
tired he may be of life, cannot reach
his happy hunting ground should he
commit suicide. These fanatics have
a more graceful manner of forcing
death upon themselves than more
civilized people. For example: A
Sulu Moro, through falling hopeless
ly in debt, being taken in slavery,
after a time sometimes becomes de-
spondent and decides to shuff1e off the
mortal twist. Having reached this
| frame of mind, he tells his troubles
to the priest of his datto or chieftan,
who, If he believes the subject is in
earnest, refers the case to the next
higher authority with his approval.
Thus the case goes on through 'offl-
! cia1 channels" until it reaches the
member of the court of the sultan
who decides such matters. Should
this dignitary approve of the suppli-
cation, the subject is given a religious
ceremony and swears to "die fight
| ing" His eyebrows and parts of his
head are then shaved clean, and I'M
der certain conditions he is given a
white turban. His sword, or other
weapon, which must have the keen
edge of razor, is then examined,
and if found satisfactory he starts
cut on the prescribed mission of
blood letting. A great factor in the
| happiness in the future world is his
horse that he will receive after death.
Its size will be large or small, accord
ing to whether he Stays many or few,
and its color light or dark, depending
upon the color of his victims. He,
OF course, desires a large white horse.
Thus it may be seen that he is a
| dangerous character, particularly to
Americans and Europeans, though
Chinese, being of lighter skin than
himself. often become his victims.
He prefers the lighter blood, but does
not hesitate to deal the death blow
to other human beings, even to his
fellow tribesmen, if this coveted
blood is not to be had, figuring, no
doubt, that in the world to come he
will be better off with small dark
horse than with no steed at all. Dur
ing the last year five Moros have run
| amok in Jolo, the chief town of Sulu.
| Thanks to the a1ertness of the Amer
lean soldiers, but one person has been
! injured by these fiends, and his re-
covery is assured.