Evening star., 1909-09-05
JAPAN FIGHTING THE
FEROCIOUS HEAD-HUNTERS
TLAT Eost ferocious instinct of
primitive savagery, head huntins'
= japan is to fight with the most

= Japan is to fight with the most
modern Of military agencies, electricity.
It is a. most curious duel that is now
being waged in the Island CT Formosa
between the japanese and the bloodthirs-
! ty, Aiyu tribes.
| II is the proudest achievement of the
head-hunter to increase his collection OF
skulls. He who has most Of these san
culinary relics is esteemed the great man
Of the tribe, and the grueson,e skulls are
| exbinited with the utmost pride not only
| to residents, but to visitors who may
chance. under proper guard. TO pehetfa'e
| 70 the ia astnesses of the Interior
| r. has not taken long for Japan to find
that her soldiers cannot avail to stop the
dan,,ada,;on. and outrages committed by
| the head-hunters.
| There ara some hundred thousand OF
| these sayaees who became a. problem 10
the TOXIC government when the outcome
of the war with China in 1899 brought
Formosa under japanese donhnion. haa
| The gallant little brown men VINO had
! heen able TO overw'helm the Cinnamon
and who, later, were TO St1ke SucH q
| frightful blow at the prestige OF huss.a
| were unable to deal with the
ers. -. saa 90
soon e the japanese soldiers came INTO
the country. the modern sons OF 1upi'ei
were constantly worsted
| II uas a fayorite trick of the mead
hunters TO perform their deadiiest out
RACES right under the noses SO to speak
| Of the new rulers of the island. ~
Sayages would come into the towns. lie
| in wait for hours and then ian Oh s,ert. soIi
Unfortunate mother and children. shoot
them down gather the heads and make
their escape. -.
Even Japanese soldiers on picket duty
| fell victims in the same way.
| Tnen came a novel expedient on the part
of Ianan Half breeds. sort OF cross
between Chinese and the aboriginal IN
ha abi,ants of the island, were pressed lhto
service but these were also a disappoliit-
| r,ent The savages outwitted them again
and AGAIN and the terrible harvesting or
heads continued not only 10 De hofIor
and q menace to the lives Of those on the
| island. but also stood in the way OF the
DEVELOPMENT Of many channels or 1arfn-
| ing and business
Then a tactlcian In the army seoeh oi4
a great idea.
| They knew nothing OF the magic liuio.
Not only would they fall victims TO
deadly power. but their superstition would
he piayed upon to such an extent that
| some control could be gained over their
! minds.
| " Japanese.
There had been barriers and trochas be-
! fore. Weyler used them in Cuba in an
| effort to keep the rebels In a certain por-
I ton of the island, but from these plans
the japanese scheme differed in this
| way. 1t really involved electrocution on
| wholesale scale.
A wall was built across the country.
wall 400 miles in length, not a wall
of stone, but far more deadly and
treacherous wall. one made of wire. and
/ charged constantly with current that
carried death just as certainly as the
bullet of dead shot.
| Only it needed no soldier to fire this
death message. All that the head-hunter
needed to do was to come into contact
with it for just the briefest space OF time
| and with any portion OF his BODY. Death
| was then the sure outcome.
The deadly obstruction. With secret en-
| tanglements most cleverly contrived, ex-
| tends across the land from the coast OF
Giran in the east to the shore at Nanko
| on the west side, where II taxes .u,.
north and circles about In such a way
| that the savage once within lis lnes
would find escape difficult without iatal
| contact with the wire.
The fences are connected with powerful
| e,actr,c plants and the wires are con-
stantly kept charged with the death deal
Already 1t has been found that the new
system IS the most en1cacious thal the
government has yet cOntrlVed
The savages are bafned and mystifled
They cannot understand what It is that
has the power of striking down their COM
rades SO suddenly. They are afraid to
move about in the night on their horrible
matchmaking expeditions. for the wire
has been placed with such cleverness that
they never can tell when they are likely
70 come into contact with It.
The plan Of campaign at present Is TO
drive the savages into the mountains.
prevent them from coming into the low
countries or near the towns. and so hem
them In eventually by the wire barriers
that they will be cut or from supplies
and forced either to surrender or die
Hardly will this be regarded as cruel
when the atrocities OF the head-hunters
are taken into account japan couio
hardly be expected to view with indiner-
ence such things as have happened. In
one case a rebel raid on Jap outpost
resulted in the killing and decapitation OF |
thirteen soldiers, and SO clever ana CRAFTY |
was the enemy and SO skilled at taxing |
advantaee of a knowledge OF the country |
that the peril was persistent and unre- |
Inc Japanese call the head-hunters the |
..sa,l,ans.." They are said to number more |
nat 100000. divided into some TOO tribes. |
zach tribe occupies its own territory |
and they are all independent Of each 9TH |
ar. each seeming concerned alone in pre-
venting encroachnentS on its lands.
The lack. of q unity instead OF being. a