New-York tribune., 1911-01-08
Joke ON CAMP FIRE CLUB
Dashing British Officer Who
Speaks at Dinner a Fake.
HEAD HUNTERS HIS SUBJECT
Tells a Stirring Tale of the
Chase After Complaining
About Customs Menial.
-. HI. CHENE1.
state Superintendent Of Banks, who or
dered the institution 10 close.

Among a promising number of speak
Hotel Astor last night, the name and
personality of Captain Vincent Gordon
Stanhope, 9th Royal Lancers, British
army. seemed TO promise most OF all.
Captain Stanhope wore a monocle,
burnsides. bored look and centrally
parted hair. He was the centre of in
terest Ia the midst OF such well known
men as Dan Beard, Ernest Thompson
Seton. William Lyman Underwood, ].
Alden Loring. Roy c. Andrews, George
d. Pratt and five hundred members and
guests.
Captain Stanhopes topic also was
promising. Among the Cannibal Head
Hunters in New Guinea" clashed with
the monocle and the look Of boredom.
He complained Of having received "a
great amount Of impertinence from a
customs menial," and that when he re-
ferred to his acquaintance with Theo-
dore Roosevelt, who on my last visit
was President Of your states" some
thing was said BY the bally fellow about
the Outlook being dark.
The cannibal heads were retained,
Captain stanhope said, by the customs
men. so he would give his lecture with
out the preserved heads.
The captain told how fishhooks and
mouth organs in limited quantities were
accepted In New Guinea Tor rental Of a
house over a term Of years, and then
carried his hearers breathless through
one of his campaigns resulting in an
accumulation of cannibal heads OF great
excellence and rarity.
I'VE who charged were not half in
number they whom we surprised. My
excuse for associating with such an ex-
pedition may be found in the fact that
the party we were attacking had pillaged
and killed the camp Of my temporary
host for years. The weapons used by the
contending forces were bamboo knives
most tragic In appearance, most deadly
I'm their execution. ! heard my own hear!
beat. The decapitations all around me
were instantaneous. tried TO intervene
I called my interpreter TO my aid. Final
~, one Of the naked savages came rush
ing toward me. ordered my interpreter
to tell him TO be off. The savage paid
no heed. knocked the man down and
decapitated him. With ghoulish glee--
II am only a guest at this" said a
tense, quiet voice in the rear Of The
room but can't sit here any longer"
What's that? What's that?" demand
ed Captain Stanhope. He was visibly af-
fected, but he stood the embarrassment
of the situation surprisingly we'll.
II know this man." said the same
small voice. He is no officer in the
British army
ottoman II. Van Norden, toastmaster
sprang 10 his feet and called upon the
workmanship OF all present to come "a
tho rescue of their guest OF honor.
"Go ahead. captainn' Proceed, sir!
! yelled the excited audience.
The captain did so, plainly laboring "a
| be calm.
negroes of my own party turned agains,
me | am not ashamed TO say / ran
After us came running those insanely
aroused savages. One OF my party
pulled apart the trunk Of tree. In we
sIinped and were lost to view. 1t was
an india rubber tree"
Another crowd was after the cap
tain and he ran out OF the room. after
tha first TO reach him snatched off his
makeup whiskers and rumpled his hair
His real name is William II. Horn. an
| aiocutiol ist, OF this city.