Amador ledger. (Jackson, Amador County, Calif.) 1875-19??, 1907-09-06
Philippine
Correspondence
By s. K. DeRackin.

of it which deals with morality. A
strange story, illustrating this point
comes from the Island of Basilan
some twenty miles from this city
Among the offenses which, accord
Ing to Moro law, are punishable by
death, is the crime of adultery wher
committed by persons related to each
other within the third degree of con
sanguinity. The Moros also believe
that the presence of such people in a
village will bring misfortune upon
the entirescommunity.
Early in the present year an offense
of this nature was brought to light
in enc of their villages, and the peo-
pie were clamorous for the death OF
the offenders. The village headman,
while feeling that such a course
would be an eminently proper one,
feared the action of the American
authorities, and consulted with an
European planter living in the vicin-
lty, explaining the necessity of prompt
action in the case, as bad luck would
be sure to come to the village in any
event, but in more severe form If
they temporized with the offenders.
The planter laughed their super
stitions to scorn and warned them
against the deed they contemplated,
explaining that the authorities would
certainly hold all persons connected
with the act responsible, and further
more, tried to convince them of the
absurdity of their superstitions.
After much argument and many ex-
plantations the Moros left in an ap-
parently satisfied mood.
Shortly afterwards period of
drought set in. When the crops be-
gan to fail the people laid the blame
upon the guilty couple. Deputations
waited upon the planter calling atten-
tion to their plight and requesting
his permission to''remove the cause. -
The latter remained obdurate, how
ever, arguing with them and exhort-
ing thcm tc cast aside superstition.
declaring that'the rain would Gomez
whether the guilty couple were ex-
ecuted or not.
7 The rain finally came and, to dis
cover its effect, the planter betook
himself to the village on the follow
ing day, receiving the Fluctuations
of happy farmers on all sides. Upon
arriving at the headman's residence
he called out to him that "the rain
had come. The chief replied with
a dubious sort of smile, but did not
make any remark. DESTROYS of i'm
pressing the villagers with the fact
that they had been mIsIed by their
superstitions, the planter asked that
the guilty couple be brought forth
and exhibited to the village, but the
chief replied that that was impossible,
as the offenders had teen executed by
drowning (the customary procedure
in such cases) on the day previous to
the rain storm.
The planter severely rebuked the
chief for his action, but the latter
called his attention to the fact that
1.-THE rain had come" which was the
object the community desired to
achieve.
One Way of Making Return on War
rant of Arrest.
The average American sheriff OF
other police officer, in making a re-
turn of writ OF arrest, follows d
different rule than that employed by
the Moros, particularly if the defend
ant BIZ killed in resisting arrest.
Here the Datto must see the goods, :"
so it is the custom to sever the head
from the trunk and return it with the
writ.
Recently,a case of this kind occurr-
ed on the Island of BasIlan, wbeI g
Datto Gabino attempted to make an
arrest of gang of pirates killing
two in the fight which ensued.
Knowing that he would not believe
one of his deputies if they failed to
bring in the head of the man alleged
to have been killed while resisting
arrest, Datto Gabiuo naturally doubt
ed if the governor would believe him
under similar circumstances. AS
evidence of the truth of his return,
he brought to Zamboanga two heads.
Being round, and inconvenient to
CARRY, holes we're slit in the ears and
strips of rattan used to make handles.
CONSERVATION reigned in the COVER
nor's office when these heads we're
presented to him as evidence that the
Datto had not made false return on
the writ of arrest.
The first case of this kind happened
on the Island of Pilas where Mahara.
jah TurabIn, like David of old, sought
to make way with a certain M orc
Uriah who possessed a very likely
looking wife. Elan, a lieutenant,
was told to attend to the matter.
Shortly after this Uriah was en-.
countered by Elan and left for dead
This modern Bath-sheba did not take
kindly to David" Turabin's inten
tions respecting her, so she escaped
with her wounded husband and made
her way to Zamboanga where the
wounded man was placed in the mill
tary hospital,